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Webster 1913 Edition


Mote

Mote

,
Verb.
See 1st
Mot
.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.

Mote

,
Noun.
[See
Moot
, a meeting.]
[Obs., except in a few combinations or phrases.]
1.
A meeting of persons for discussion;
as, a ward
mote
in the city of London
.
2.
A body of persons who meet for discussion, esp. about the management of affairs;
as, a folk
mote
.
3.
A place of meeting for discussion.
Mote bell
,
the bell rung to summon to a
mote
.
[Obs.]

Mote

,
Noun.
The flourish sounded on a horn by a huntsman. See
Mot
,
Noun.
, 3, and
Mort
.
Chaucer.

Mote

,
Noun.
[OE.
mot
, AS.
mot
.]
A small particle, as of floating dust; anything proverbially small; a speck.
The little
motes
in the sun do ever stir, though there be no wind.
Bacon.
We are
motes
in the midst of generations.
Landor.

Webster 1828 Edition


Mote

MOTE

, in folkmote, &c. signifies a meeting.

MOTE

,
Noun.
A small particle; any thing proverbially small; a spot.
Why beholdest thou the mote in thy brother's eye? Matt.7.
The little motes in the sun do ever stir, though there is no wind.

MOTE

, for mought, might or must, obsolete.

Definition 2024


mote

mote

See also: motė, möte, mõte, mótè, and møte

English

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -əʊt
  • Homophone: moat

Noun

mote (plural motes)

  1. A small particle; a speck.
    • 1611, Bible (KJV), Matthew 7:5:
      Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye.
  2. A tiny computer for remote sensing. Also known as smartdust.
See also
Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English moten, from Old English mōtan (to be allowed, be able to, have the opportunity to, be compelled to, may, must), from Proto-Germanic *mōtaną (to be able to, have to, be delegated), from Proto-Indo-European *med- (to acquire, possess, be in charge of). Cognate with Dutch moeten (to have to, must), German müssen (to have to, must), Danish måtte (might, may), Ancient Greek μέδω (médō, to prevail, dominate, rule over). Related to empty.

Verb

mote (third-person singular simple present mote, present participle -, simple past and past participle must)

  1. (now archaic) May or might. [from 9th c.]
    • 1596, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, VI.7:
      he […] kept aloofe for dread to be descryde, / Untill fit time and place he mote espy, / Where he mote worke him scath and villeny.
  2. (obsolete) Must. [9th-17th c.]
  3. (now archaic) Forming subjunctive expressions of wish: may. [from 9th c.]
    • 1980, Erica Jong, Fanny:
      ‘I shall not take Vengeance into my own Hands. The Goddess will do what She will.’ ‘So mote it be,’ said the Grandmaster.
Usage notes
  • Generally takes an infinitive without to.

Etymology 3

See moot (a meeting).

Noun

mote (plural motes)

  1. (obsolete) A meeting for discussion.
    a wardmote in the city of London
  2. (obsolete) A body of persons who meet for discussion, especially about the management of affairs.
    a folkmote
  3. (obsolete) A place of meeting for discussion.
Derived terms
  • mote bell

Anagrams


Italian

Noun

mote f pl

  1. plural of mota

Anagrams


Japanese

Romanization

mote

  1. rōmaji reading of もて

Latin

Participle

mōte

  1. vocative masculine singular of mōtus

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology

From French mode

Noun

mote m (definite singular moten, indefinite plural moter, definite plural motene)

  1. fashion

Derived terms

References


Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From French mode

Noun

mote m (definite singular moten, indefinite plural motar, definite plural motane)

  1. fashion

Derived terms

References


Portuguese

Noun

mote m (plural motes)

  1. motto

Spanish

Etymology 1

From French or Provençal mot (saying).

Noun

mote m (plural motes)

  1. nickname
  2. motto (heraldry)

Etymology 2

Borrowing from Quechua mut'i.

Noun

mote m (plural motes)

  1. (South America) hulled cereal, especially pearl barley and hominy
Derived terms
  • mote de maíz
  • mote de trigo

Volapük

Noun

mote

  1. dative singular of mot