Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.

Mop

Definition: Mop

Mop

Noun

1. Cleaning implement consisting of absorbent material fastened to a handle; for cleaning floors.

Verb

1. To wash or wipe with or as if with a mop: "Mop the hallway now"; "He mopped her forehead with a towel".

2. Make a sad face; "mop and mow".

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "mop" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1380. (references)

 

Specialty Definition: Mop

DomainDefinition

Literature

Mop In many places statute fairs are held, where servants seek to be hired. Carters fasten to their hats a piece of whipcord; shepherds, a lock of wool; grooms, a piece of sponge, etc. When hired they mount a cockade with streamers. Some few days after the statute fair, a second, called a Mop, is held for the benefit of those not already hired. This fair mops or wipes up the refuse of the statute fair, carrying away the dregs of the servants left.
Mop. One of Queen Mab's attendants.
All mops and brooms. Intoxicated. Source: Brewer's Dictionary.

Slang in 1811

MOP. A kind of annual fair in the west of England, where farmers usually hire their servants. Source: 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Abbreviations & Acronyms: Mop

The following table is compiled from various sources, across various languages. When English abbreviations or acronyms come from a non-English source, this is noted.
EntrySourceExpressionField

MOP

EnglishMannopineN/A

MOP

FrenchPataca-code ISON/A

MOP

GreekπατάκαGeography

Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

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Synonyms: Mop

Synonyms: swab (n), swob (n), mop up (v), mow (v), pout (v), wipe up (v). (additional references)

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Synonyms within Context: Mop

ContextSynonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus).

Cleanness

Napkin, cloth, maukin, malkin, handkerchief, towel, sudary; doyley, doily, duster, sponge, mop, swab.

Clean, cleanse; mundify, rinse, wring, flush, full, wipe, mop, sponge, scour, swab, scrub, brush up.

Brush; broom, besom, mop, rake, shovel, sieve, riddle, screen, filter; blotter.

Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus.

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Crosswords: Mop

English words defined with "mop": Malkin, Merkin, mop handle, Mop head, Mopped, mopper, mopping, MopstickScovel, sponge mop, Stail, swab, swabbing, swob. (references)
Specialty definitions using "mop": alcohol rubberbarrel burner, BARREL CHARRER, boot polishercage clerk, charrer, charring-room worker, barrel, COOLING-ROOM ATTENDANTdressing-room attendantLABORATORY CLERK, LABORER, PIE BAKERY, LABORER, SYRUP MACHINE, locker attendant, LOCKER-ROOM ATTENDANT, locker-room clerkMob-cap, MOP MAKER, mop-machine operatorPartington, personal attendant, PROJECT-CREW WORKERRUG-BACKING STENCILERSEED PELLETER, shoe polisher, SHOE SHINER, slumber-room attendant, Statute Fairs, suit attendantTiny Clos, To MOP UPWOOD CAULKER. (references)
Etymologies containing "mop": mobcap. (references)
Non-English Usage: "Mop" is also a word in the following languages with English translations in parentheses.

Czech (mop, swab), Dutch (blot, cupcake, gag, joke, spot, witticism), German (mop, swab), Portuguese (pataca).

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Modern Usage: Mop

DomainUsage

Screenplays

Well, it's not quite a mop, it's not quite a puppet, but man (The Simpsons; writing credit: Artur Brauner; Paul Hengge)

I cant believe it, you with a mop in your hand (Sanford and Son; writing credit: Earl Barret; Ted Bergman)

Why aren't you using the mop I bought you (Scrubs; writing credit: Gabrielle Allan; Janae Bakken)

Perhaps I could paint a fence, or service you sexually, or mop the floor (Futurama; writing credit: Lance Smith; Carl Colpaert)

Who left the mop running (Sleeping Beauty; writing credit: Milt Banta; Winston Hibler)

Lyrics

Love the kind you clean up with a mop and bucket (The Bad Touch; performing artist: Bloodhound Gang)

Dre came to wax you so, just call me Mop N Glow (Keep Their Headz Ringin; performing artist: Dr. Dre)

Cloo ge mop! Huh huh (Clementine; performing artist: Tom Lehrer)

Movie/TV Titles

Get the Mop Eddie (1918)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Commercial Usage: Mop

DomainTitle

Books

  • Bert and the Missing Mop Mix-Up: Featuring Jim Henson's Sesame Street Muppets (Sesame Street Start-To-Read Book) (reference)

  • Me, Mop, and the Moondance Kid (reference)

  • Mop and the Birthday Picnic (Mop and Family) (reference)

  • Mop Top (reference)

  • Santa Claus Doesn't Mop Floors (reference)

    (more book examples)

  

Periodicals

  

Consumer Goods

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Image Slideshow: Mop

Photos:
Mop

More pictures...

Illustrations:
Mop

More pictures...

Computer Images:
Mop

More pictures...

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Photo Album: Mop

ThumbnailDescription & CreditThumbnailDescription & Credit

Mop up of a prescribed fire. Credit: D. Smurthwaite.

Ship's racing boat crew celebrates with cigars after a victory, circa 1913. Note the coiled line and decorated broom and mop handles. Seaman Hubert C. Rickert is seated in center holding the mop, just to the right of the cigar box. Credit: NAVY.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

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Digital Photo Gallery: Mop
 

"Rusted mop pail" by Johnnie Crash
Commentary: "A janitor mop and pail close up on the pail. Very much rusted."

Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers.

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Sounds Captioned with "Mop".

PlayCaption
Clean; clean off; clear; dry; dust; erase; mop; obliterate; remove; rub; sponge; swab; take away; towel; wash; squeak.
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Familiar Quotations: Mop

AuthorQuotation

Emo Philips

I got in a fight one time with a really big guy, and he said, "I'm going to mop the floor with your face."

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Non-Fiction Usage: Mop

SubjectTopicQuote

Health

Dusting with a damp cloth or oiled mop should be done frequently. (references)

Once everything is wet, take up contaminated materials with a damp towel, then mop or sponge the area with disinfectant. (references)

Economic History

Zambia

Fears of increased inflation may drive monetary authorities to mop up some of the liquidity in the market through the issuing of government securities. (references)

Nigeria

To control the depreciation of the naira, the Central Bank of Nigeria utilizes strong monetary policy to mop up excess liquidity in the financial system. (references)

Nigeria

During 2001 the CBN also issued high interest "certificates of deposit" ranging from 90 to 180 days in a bid to mop up the excess naira liquidity in the economy and shore up the naira exchange rate. (references)

Political Economy

Haiti

Later, Aristide's campaign motto, "Lavalas," became the name for a loose and diverse coalition of parties and groups with generally leftist and nationalist political orientation, which won both the presidential election and a parliamentary majority in the legislative election in 1995. The Lavalas bloc in 1995 included three political parties: Lavalas Political Organization (OPL), Parti Louvri Barye (PLB), and Movement to Organize the Country (MOP). (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

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Usage Frequency: Mop

"Mop" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 60.54% of the time. "Mop" is used about 261 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted)
Parts of SpeechPercentUsage per
100 Million Words
Rank in English
Noun (singular)60.54%15824,965
Lexical Verb (infinitive)34.1%8934,931
Lexical Verb (base form)4.21%11106,044
Noun (proper)1.15%3202,518
                    Total100.00%261N/A

Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.

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Expressions: Mop

Expressions using "mop": damp mop dry mop dust mop mop and mow mop down mop handle mop head mop of curly hair mop of hair mop one's brow mop the floor with mop up sponge mop. Additional references.

Hyphenated Usage

Beginning with "mop": mop-board, mop-head, mop-headed, mop-heads, mop-top, mop-up.

Ending with "mop": floor-mop, Whiting-mop.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Frequency of Internet Keywords: Mop

The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com.
 
ExpressionFrequency
per Day
ExpressionFrequency
per Day

mop

738

barbecue mop sauce

13

mop bucket

56

miracle mop

13

mop floor

53

mop glo

13

barbecue mop

49

sponge mop

12

mop sink

42

mop handle

12

swifter mop

42

pva mop

12

dust mop

41

star mop

11

clorox ready mop

40

magic mop

11

microfiber mop

34

starfiber mop

11

sh mop

33

mop doll

10

mop international

32

libman mop

10

broom and mop

26

mop wef

10

bissell mop steam

25

fiat mop sink

9

swiffer mop

25

cedar mop o

9

quickie mop

22

go grab it mop

9

clorox mop

22

roll o matic mop

9

mop sauce

19

mop product

9

steam mop

19

ready mop

9

mop hair product

18

mop head

8

grab it mop

17

mop hair care

8

wet mop

14

dirt devil mop vac

8
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

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Modern Translation: Mop

Language Translations for "mop"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses.

Albanian

  

shtupë dyshemesh, postiqe, përqeshje (derision, flout, mock, mockery, scoff, sneering, taunt), leckë (cloth, rag, rags, tatter, wiper). (various references)

   

Arabic 

  

‏مكنسة (besom, broom, sweeper), ‏ممسحة (duster, floor cloth, sponge, wiper), ‏مساحة (area, compass, distance, extent, measurement, size, space, wiper), ‏مسح (clean, extinguish, mop up, mopping, polish, rub, scanning, scrub, sponge, survey, swab, sweep, wipe, wiping), ‏نظف (char, clean, clean out, clear, clear away, do, pan, purge, purify, rub, sanitize, scavenge, scour, scrub, swab, wash out), ‏تمشيط (carding, sweep), ‏عملية تمشيط. (various references)

   

Bulgarian 

  

рошава коса (fleece, shag), чистя (clean, discard, dress, pick, Slough, stone, unload), гъста коса, гримаса (face, grimace, mouth, mow, mug), мия (bathe, clean, do, lave, lick, scour, wash, wash up), бърша (wipe). (various references)

   

Chinese 

  

拖把 , 拖洗 (Mopped, mopping, MOPS). (various references)

   

Czech

  

mop (swab), vytřít (mop up, wipe out). (various references)

   

Danish

  

uregelmæssigt foldet polerring (bias mop, curled buff), syet skive (needled buff, sewed buff, sewn mop, stitched mop), efterslukningstid (mop-up time). (various references)

   

Dutch

  

luchtgekoelde schijf voor polijstautomaat (bias mop, curled buff), gestikte schijf (needled buff, sewed buff, sewn mop, stitched mop). (various references)

   

Farsi 

  

پاک کردن (Absolve, Clean, Cleanse, Efface, Erase, Obliterate, Purge, Purify, Rub, Sancify, Scour, Scrape, Sublimate, Ventilate, Wash, Winnow, Wipe), چوبی که کهنه یاپشم برسران می پیچند. (various references)

   

Finnish

  

pyyhkiä (cancel, cross out, delete, dry, strike out, wipe, wipe off), köysiluuta (swab). (various references)

   

French

  

ratisser, nettoyer (mop up), nettoyage, laveur, lavette, essuyer, balai. (various references)

   

German

  

mop (swab). (various references)

   

Greek 

  

σφουγγαρίστρα, σφουγγαρίζω (mop up, scrub, swab, swob). (various references)

   

Hebrew 

  

מטלית (cloth, duster, flannel, patch, rag, swab), לנקות בסחבה, לנגב (absterge, dry, sop up, swab, towel, wipe), סמרטוט רצפה (floor cloth), סמרטוט (dish cloth, rag). (various references)

   

Hungarian

  

mosogatórongy (dish cloth, dish mop, to feel like a boiled rag, washcloth), tisztítórongy, törlőrongy (clout), rongykorong, pamacs (bunch), nyüstbojt, kötélkóc-seprű, grimasz (grimace), fintor (droll, grimace, moppet, pout), felmosó ruha, babuskám, babuska (poppet), arcfintor (puckering). (various references)

   

Indonesian

  

seringai (grimace, grin). (various references)

   

Italian

  

zazzera (long hair, mophead), smorfia (grimace), scopa (besom, broom), pulire (bream, clean, cleanse, make, make clean, pick, purge, scavenge, scrub, sweep, wash, wipe), lavare (flush, wash), detergere, asciugare (blot, dry, dry up, get dry, wipe, wipe oneself, wipe up). (various references)

   

Japanese Kanji 

  

モザイク卵 (greenish gray, mob, mock-up, modem, modern, modern art, modern ballet, modern craft, modern dance, modern jazz, modern life, modern living, modernism, modernist, modernity, modernize, modernology, modification, modified American plan, modify, modiste, modular, modularization, modulation, module, modulo, mosaic egg, Moscow, mosque, mosquito-weight, moss green, motel, motif, motivation, motivation research, motto, Mozambique, sexy). (various references)

   

Japanese Katakana 

  

モップ . (various references)

   

Korean 

  

청소하십시요. (various references)

   

Manx

  

jioleyder (sponger, sucker, swab), jiole seose (absorb, mop up, mopping, swab), jiolane. (various references)

   

Pig Latin

  

opmay.(various references)

   

Portuguese

  

passar a pano, pano de pó (duster), lavar (bath, buddle, do up, lave, square up, wash), fazer caretas (grimace, mop and mow, mouth), esfregar (fret, rub, rub down, scour, scrape, scrub), esfregão (rubber, swab, swob), careta (antic, frump, grimace, mow, mug, pout, snoot). (various references)

   

Romanian

  

spãlãtor (lavatory, washerman, washstand), spãla (bathe, clean, fade, flush, irrigate, launder, lave, mop up, pan, slush, stream, sweep, wash, wash up), smoc de pãr (crest, tuft of hair), ghemotoc (flock, peewee), ghem (ball, clew, manyplies), curãţa (brush, brush up, burnish, clean, cleanse, clear, demolish, do, dredge, dress, dust, furbish, Gill, grub, mop up, pick, purge, purify, refine, rid, rinse, scavenge, scoop, scour, scrub, skin, trim, wash, wipe), şterge (abrade, annex, annihilate, annul, blot out, bunk, cancel, clean, cop, crib, decamp, deface, delete, dim, do a bunk, dry, dull, efface, erase, expunge, filch, guy, make away, make off, obliterate, pack off, pack one's traps, pop off, quit, raze, remove, scratch, shrink away, strike out, sweep, vanish, wipe). (various references)

   

Russian 

  

швабра (swab, swob), космы, копна волос (bush of hair), гримаса (face, grimace, mow, mug, pout), очищать швабра. (various references)

   

Scottish

  

moibean , moibeal (a mop). (various references)

   

Serbo-Croatian

  

neuredna kosa, krpa (rag), bujna, brisati (erase, sweep). (various references)

   

Spanish

  

fregona (scrubwoman, scullery maid). (various references)

   

Swedish

  

torka av (wipe off), svabb (swab). (various references)

   

Thai

  

ไม้ถูพื้น, ผมกระเซิง. (various references)

   

Turkish

  

yüzünü buruşturmak (grimace, make a grimace, make grimaces), yüz buruşturma (grimace), suratını ekşitmek (grimace, make a grimace, make a wry face, make grimaces), surat ekşitme, paspaslamak (mop up), paspas (doormat, mat), karışık saç (shock, tangled hair, thatch), iplik paspas. (various references)

   

Ukrainian

  

швабра (bear, swab, swabber, swob), гримаса (grimace, mow), осушувати (drain), мити (bathe, lave, sponge, wash), патли (tousle). (various references)

   

Vietnamese 

  

$mops and mow$ nét mặt nhăn nhó. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references.

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Ancestral Language Translations: Mop

LanguagePeriodTranslations
Latin500 BCE-Modern

mappa. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

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Derivations & Misspellings: Mop

Derivations

Words beginning with "mop": mopboard, mopboards, mope, moped, mopeds, moper, moperies, mopers, mopery, mopes, mopey, mopier, mopiest, moping, mopingly, mopish, mopishly, mopoke, mopokes, mopped, mopper, moppers, moppet, moppets, mopping, mops, mopy. (additional references)

Words ending with "mop": rollmop. (additional references)

Words containing "mop": anemophilous, chemoprophylactic, chemoprophylaxes, chemoprophylaxis, chromophil, chromophobe, chromophore, chromophores, chromophoric, chromoplast, chromoplasts, chromoprotein, chromoproteins, cosmopolis, cosmopolises, cosmopolitan, cosmopolitanism, cosmopolitanisms, cosmopolitans, cosmopolite, cosmopolites, cosmopolitism, cosmopolitisms, cymophane, cymophanes, entomophagous, entomophilies, entomophilous, entomophily, gamopetalous, gramophone, gramophones, hemophilia, hemophiliac, hemophiliacs, hemophilias, hemophilic, hemophilics, hemopoieses, hemopoiesis, hemopoietic, hemoprotein, hemoproteins, hemoptyses, hemoptysis, homophile, homophobe, homophobes, homophobia, homophobias, homophobic. (additional references)


Misspellings

"Mop" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: ampo, imop, impo, iop, Mabp, majp, maop, mapm, mapo, mapp, Mapu, Mbopo, mcp, Mcpa, memp, mep, mip, mirp, Mmpi, moap, Moapa, moc, mof, Mog, moh, moi, moj, mok, Mokpo, molp, mooj, moop, Mopc, Mopf, mopi, mopr, mopy, moq, morp, mou, mov, moy, moz, Mppda, mpr, Mpu, mrp, mup, Mupc, Mupp, muq, murp, mvo, mvopl, myop, myp, nopa, noph, npo, omv, pmop, pmpo, vop, ymo, zmo. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references).

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Rhyming with "Mop"

# of Phoneme MatchesPronunciationWord(s) rhyming with "mop" (pronounced mÄ"p)
2-Ä" patop, bop, chop, cop, crop, drop, flop, glop, hop, knop, lop, nonstop, op, plop, pop, prop, shop, Shoppe, slop, sop, stop, swap, top, wop.

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

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Anagrams: Mop

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

Direct Anagrams: pom.

Words within the letters "m-o-p"

-1 letter: mo, om, op.

 Words containing the letters "m-o-p"
 

+1 letter: comp, mope, mops, mopy, poem, pome, pomp, poms, prom, romp.

 

+2 letters: campo, chomp, clomp, compo, comps, compt, moped, moper, mopes, mopey, morph, myope, myopy, oomph, opium, poems, pomes, pommy, pomps, primo, proem, promo, proms, romps, stomp, tempo, tromp, whomp.

 

+3 letters: aplomb, campos, chomps, clomps, coempt, comped, compel, comply, compos, compts, copalm, employ, eponym, impone, import, impose, impost, improv, lipoma, maypop, metope, mobcap, mockup, mopeds, mopers, mopery, mopier, moping, mopish, mopoke, mopped, mopper, moppet, morpho, morphs, myopes, myopia, myopic, nympho, oompah, oomphs, opiums, optima, optime, paramo, phenom, phloem, podium, pogrom, pomace, pomade, pomelo, pommee, pommel, pommie, pompom, pompon, porism, possum, potman, potmen, primos, proems, promos, prompt, pumelo, romped, romper, stomps, tampon, tempos, trompe, tromps, upmost, whomps.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro.

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INDEX

1. Definition
2. Synonyms
3. Crosswords
4. Usage: Modern
5. Usage: Commercial
6. Images: Slideshow
7. Images: Photo Album
8. Images: Digital Art
9. Sounds
10. Quotations: Familiar
11. Quotations: Non-fiction
12. Usage Frequency
13. Expressions
14. Expressions: Internet
15. Translations: Modern
16. Translations: Ancient
17. Abbreviations
18. Acronyms
19. Derivations
20. Rhymes
21. Anagrams
22. Bibliography


  

Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.