mud

Meaning

Noun

1. (countable, uncountable) A mixture of water and soil or fine grained sediment.
2. (countable, uncountable) A plaster-like mixture used to texture or smooth drywall.
3. (countable, slang, uncountable) Wet concrete as it is being mixed, delivered and poured.
4. (countable, figuratively, uncountable) Willfully abusive, even slanderous remarks or claims, notably between political opponents.
5. (countable, slang, uncountable) Money, dough, especially when proceeding from dirty business.
6. (countable, slang, uncountable) Stool that is exposed as a result of anal sex.
7. (countable, uncountable) A particle less than 62.5 microns in diameter, following the Wentworth scale
8. (countable, derogatory, ethnic, slang, slur, uncountable) A black person.
9. (countable, uncountable) Drilling fluid.
10. (countable, slang, uncountable) Coffee.
11. (countable, slang, uncountable) Opium.
12. (countable, slang, uncountable) Heroin.

Verb

1. (transitive) To make muddy or dirty; to apply mud to (something).
2. (transitive) To make turbid.
3. (intransitive) To go under the mud, as an eel does.

Verb

To participate in a MUD or multi-user dungeon.

Synonyms

mire

clay

slime

sludge

dirt

earth

slush

ooze

muck

soil

silt

loam

puddle

mortar

sediment

quagmire

bog

filth

muck up

slough

swamp

knoll

ground

muddy

soft ground

blot out

soft mud

sand

dregs

involve

disrupt

gutter

disorganise

gravel

fouling

mush

mudbath

fill up

dishevel

alluvium

fail

morass

entangle

daub

mix up

embroil

mess up

mess

embossment

crap

Translations

boue

fango

Schlamm

barro

lodo

fango

modder

slijk

lama

vase

Lehm

λάσπη

βόρβορος

Schmutz

Pronounced as (IPA)

/mʌd/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: mud

Cognate with Saterland Frisian: Mudde

Cognate with Middle High German: mot

Cognate with Swedish: modd

Cognate with Western Frisian: modder

Cognate with Dutch: modder

Cognate with German: Moder

Cognate with English: mother#Etymology 3

Cognate with Danish: mudder

Cognate with Finnish: muta

Cognate with Northern Sami: mođđi

In summary

From Middle English mud, mudde, mode, probably a borrowing from Middle Dutch mod, modde or Middle Low German mudde, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *mud-, *mudra- (“mud”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *mū-, *mew- (“moist”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian Mudde (“mud”), Middle High German mot (“mud”), Swedish modd (“slush”). Compare also suffixed variants West Frisian modder (“mud”), Dutch modder (“mud”), German Low German Mudder (“mud”), German Moder (“moldiness, mildew, decay”), English mother (“vinegar-forming sediment in alcohol”), Danish mudder (“mud”). Alternative etymology suggests the Proto-Germanic word is possibly borrowed from a Uralic language (compare e.g. Finnish muta (“mud”), Northern Sami mođđi (“mud”), Erzya мода (moda, “earth, ground”) from Proto-Uralic *muďa).