ENGLISH
REFERENCE

moose

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈmus// UK //mˈuːs// moose Informal Slang Vulgar

n. a very large deer with flat, wide horns that lives in cold northern forests. You might see them in places like Canada, Scandinavia, or the northern United States.

n. the largest extant species in the deer family, characterised by palmate antlers in males and a broad, drooping muzzle. Found in boreal and mixed deciduous forests of the Northern Hemisphere.


SIMPLE

We saw a large moose standing near the lake.

CONTEXTUAL

Hikers are warned to keep a safe distance from any moose they encounter, as these animals can be surprisingly aggressive.

COMPLEX

The local ecosystem relies on the moose to manage aquatic vegetation, though their population is increasingly threatened by rising temperatures and the spread of parasitic brain worms.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

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”).

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Japanese むすめ (“daughter”).

Usage

The plural form is identical to the singular ('one moose', 'two moose').

Pitfall

I saw three mooses in the woods.I saw three moose in the woods.The plural of moose is moose; it does not take an 's' ending.

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