Word
mote
US/ˈmoʊt/
UK/mˈəʊt/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a very tiny piece of dust or dirt that floats in the air.
n. a minute particle of dust or other matter, especially one seen floating in a beam of light. Often used to emphasize extreme smallness or insignificance.
Examples
“A single mote floats in the sunlight.”
“She watches a mote of dust drift through the beam of light from the window.”
“Even a mote in the eye can blur vision, reminding us how small irritants sometimes cause the greatest discomfort.”
Examples
simple
“A single mote floats in the sunlight.”
contextual
“She watches a mote of dust drift through the beam of light from the window.”
complex
“Even a mote in the eye can blur vision, reminding us how small irritants sometimes cause the greatest discomfort.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “mote” in context.
Verb
01. dislodge mote
“The nurse flushed his eye to dislodge the mote.”
verb + noun
02. illuminate mote
“The low sun illuminated motes drifting over the desk.”
verb + noun
03. mote dances
“A mote dances in the headlight beam before settling.”
noun + verb
04. mote drifts
“A mote drifts down through the still air of the chapel.”
noun + verb
05. mote floats
“A single mote floats lazily in the sunbeam.”
noun + verb
06. mote hangs
“A mote hangs suspended in the quiet museum air.”
noun + verb
Adjective
07. airborne mote
“Each airborne mote was visible in the shaft of morning light.”
adj + noun
08. glittering mote
“A glittering mote caught the projector beam for an instant.”
adj + noun
09. minute mote
“Even a minute mote in the cleanroom can ruin the silicon wafer.”
adj + noun
Noun
10. mote in eye
“A mote in the eye can cause surprising pain and tearing.”
noun + prep + noun
11. a mere mote of dust
“Compared to the galaxy, Earth is a mere mote of dust.”
12. a mote in another's eye
“It is easy to see a mote in another's eye and miss the beam in your own.”
Etymology
From Middle English mot, from Old English mot (“grain of sand; mote; atom”), from Proto-West Germanic *mot (“grain of dirt or sand, speck”). Perhaps linked to English mud. Compare West Frisian mot (“peat dust”), Dutch mot (“dust from turf; sawdust; grit”), Low German mut (“peat dust, grit”), Norwegian mutt (“speck; mote; splinter; chip”), Italian mota (“mud”), Spanish mota (“speck”).
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”), Ancient Greek μέδω (médō, “to prevail, dominate, rule over”). Related to empty.
See moot (“a meeting”).
Clipping of remote, with allusion to the other sense of mote (“a speck of dust”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C2 ProficiencyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.8.5–9.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 6.0114–120
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C2 · Proficiency
- Updated
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