mull
pronunciation
How to pronounce mull in British English:
UK [mʌl]
How to pronounce mull in American English:
US [mʌl]
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- Noun:
- a term used in Scottish names of promontories
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- Verb:
- reflect deeply on a subject
- heat with sugar and spices to make a hot drink
Word Origin
- mull (v.1)
- "ponder," 1873, perhaps from a figurative use of Middle English mullyn "grind to powder, pulverize," from molle "dust, ashes, rubbish" (c. 1300), probably from Middle Dutch mul "grit, loose earth," related to mill (n.1). But Webster's (1879) defined it as "to work steadily without accomplishing much," which may connect it to earlier identical word in athletics sense of "to botch, muff" (1862). Related: Mulled; mulling.
- mull (v.2)
- "sweeten, spice and heat a drink," c. 1600, of unknown origin, perhaps from Dutch mol, a kind of white, sweet beer, or from Flemish molle a kind of beer, and related to words for "to soften." Related: Mulled; mulling.
- mull (n.)
- "promontory" (in Scottish place names), late 14c., perhaps from Old Norse muli "a jutting crag, projecting ridge (between two valleys)," which probably is identical with muli "snout, muzzle." The Norse word is related to Old Frisian mula, Middle Dutch mule, muul, Old High German mula, German Maul "muzzle, mouth." Alternative etymology traces it to Gaelic maol "brow of a hill or rock," also "bald," from Old Celtic *mailo-s (cognates: Irish maol, Old Irish máel, máil, Welsh moel).
Example
- 1. Mull over this story and try to decide , " was there a pope joan ? "
- 2. While politicians mull tax increases and service cuts , public-sector workers continue to gobble up money-in philadelphia , they account for 61 % of spending .
- 3. Mr murdoch becomes uncomfortable when news corp executives mull the possibility of him stepping down even in 15 years time , which would take him past 90 .
- 4. As policy makers , traders and companies mull the fate of the eu 's carbon market , the world 's largest , they are discovering the same may hold true here .