moose
n.-
1 the animal (n.) B2 Upper Intermediate Sciencea very large deer with flat, wide antlers that lives in the forests of North America and Europe.
the largest extant species in the deer family, Alces alces, characterised by the male's palmate antlers and a heavy body.
ExampleWe had to stop the car because a large moose was standing in the middle of the road.
ExampleThe hikers were cautioned to maintain a safe distance, as a mother moose can become extremely aggressive if she perceives a threat to her calves.
UsageThe noun is irregular and remains 'moose' in the plural form.
PitfallWe saw three mooses in the woods.We saw three moose in the woods.The plural of moose is also moose; do not add an 's'.
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2 ugly person (n.) C1 Advanced Informal Slanga very rude way to describe someone you think is unattractive.
a derogatory figurative reference to a person perceived as physically unattractive or clumsy.
ExampleHe was being mean and called the poor girl a moose.
ExampleThe dialogue in the film was criticised for its reliance on dated insults, including calling the protagonist's rival a moose.
Teacher's tipThis sense is highly offensive and considered schoolyard bullying; learners should avoid using it.
Earlier mus, moos, from an Eastern Algonquian language name for the animal, such as Massachusett moos, mws, Narragansett moos or Penobscot mos (cognate to Abenaki moz), from Proto-Algonquian *mo·swa (“it strips”), referring to how a moose strips tree bark when feeding: compare Massachusett moos-u (“he strips, cuts smooth”).
Borrowed from Japanese むすめ (“daughter”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Last updated June 20, 2026