mud
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.soft, wet earth or dirt.
n.a liquid or semi-liquid mixture of water and any combination of soil, silt, and clay. Uncountable in its general sense.
Simple“The children came inside covered in mud after playing in the garden during the rain.”
In context“Heavy vehicles had churned the unpaved access road into a thick, impassable slurry of mud that delayed the delivery of essential supplies.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.unfair or dishonest things people say to make someone look bad, especially in politics.
n.willfully abusive or slanderous remarks, typically used in the context of political campaigns to damage a rival's reputation.
Simple“The two politicians spent the whole debate throwing mud at each other instead of talking about the issues.”
In context“Despite the lack of evidence, the tabloid continued to sling mud at the candidate, hoping the scandal would stick in the minds of undecided voters.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
n.a wet mixture used in building, like wet concrete or the paste used to smooth walls.
n.any of various fluid or semi-fluid substances used in construction, such as drywall joint compound or wet concrete.
Simple“The builder applied a layer of mud to the wall to hide the gaps between the boards.”
In context“The crew worked quickly to spread the mud before the heat caused the concrete to set prematurely in the summer sun.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to cover something with mud or make it dirty.
v.to cover or soil with mud; often used figuratively to describe making a situation or topic unclear.
Simple“Be careful not to mud your clean shoes when you walk across the field.”
In context“The witness's conflicting testimony served only to mud the waters, making it difficult for the jury to determine the sequence of events.”
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 English mother (“vinegar-forming sediment in alcohol”), West Frisian modder (“mud”), Dutch modder (“mud”), German Low German Mudder (“mud”), German Moder (“moldiness, mildew, decay”), 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 (“earth”)).
From Dutch mud, from West Germanic, from Latin modius. Doublet of modius and muid.
From MUD.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.