Word
mule
US/ˈmjuɫ/
UK/mjˈuːl/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a person who is paid to carry illegal drugs from one country to another. This is a very dangerous and illegal job.
n. a person who smuggles contraband, typically narcotics, across a border for a third party. Often used in criminal justice contexts to describe low-level participants in a trafficking network.
Examples
“The police arrested a drug mule at the airport.”
“Customs officers are trained to spot a mule by looking for signs of extreme nervousness or inconsistent travel stories.”
“The investigation revealed that the cartel recruited a desperate student to act as a mule, promising a large sum for transporting the package across the border.”
Examples
simple
“The police arrested a drug mule at the airport.”
contextual
“Customs officers are trained to spot a mule by looking for signs of extreme nervousness or inconsistent travel stories.”
complex
“The investigation revealed that the cartel recruited a desperate student to act as a mule, promising a large sum for transporting the package across the border.”
Usage
Often appears in the compound phrase 'drug mule'.
Etymology
From Middle English mule, from Anglo-Norman mule and Old English mūl, both from Latin mūlus, from Proto-Indo-European *mukslós. Compare Late Latin muscellus (“young he-mule”), Old East Slavic мъшкъ (mŭškŭ, “mule”), Ancient Greek (Phocian) μυχλός (mukhlós, “he-ass”), and German Maul Maultier, Maulesel (through Latin).
From Middle French mule (“backless slipper”), from Medieval Latin mula (“slipper, shoe with a thick sole”), presumably from classical Latin mulleus, the dyed shoe of either the patricians or senators, from mūllus (“red mullet”) + -eus (“-y: forming adjectives”), from Ancient Greek μύλλος (múllos).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- 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.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL 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: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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