NTC''''s Pocket Dictionary of Words and Phrases part 41 potx

monetary ["man @ tEr i] adj. of or
about money. (Adv: monetarily
[
man @ "tEr @ li].)
money ["m^n i] 1. n. currency;
coins and bills issued by a govern-
ment. (No plural.)
2. n. wealth;
riches. (No plural.)
→
fork money out (for
something
)
→ have money to burn
→ hush money
→ in the money
→ lay
an amount of money
out for
someone or something
→ lay
an amount of money
out on
someone or something
→ make good money
→ pour money down the drain
→ Put your money where your
mouth is!
→ throw good money after bad
Money burns a hole in
someone’s

pocket. a phrase meaning that
someone spends as much money
as possible, and that having money
makes a person want to spend it.
Money is no object. It does not
matter how much something
costs.
Money talks. Money gives one
power and influence to help get
things done or to get one’s own
way.
monitor ["man @ t#] 1. n. a device
that looks somewhat like a televi-
sion set and is used to display
computer information.
2. n. a
measuring device that keeps a
record of something.
3. tv. to
watch, listen to, or keep a record
of something.
monk ["m^Nk] n. a man who
devotes his life to religion as part
of an all-male religious organiza-
tion.
monkey ["m^N ki] n. a small, hairy
primate with a long tail.
monkey around to fool around; to
behave badly.
monkey business peculiar or out-

of-the-ordinary activities, espe-
cially mischievous or illegal ones.
monopoly [m@ "nap @ li] 1. n. the
condition existing when someone
or something has complete control
over something.
2. n. a business
that is the only provider of a serv-
ice or product.
3. n. the right to be
the only provider of a service or
product, as authorized by a gov-
ernment.
monster ["man st#] n. a large crea-
ture that scares people.
monstrosity [man "stras @ ti] n.
someone or something that is huge
and very ugly.
month ["m^nT] 1. n. one of the 12
divisions of a year. (The months of
the year, in order, are
January, Feb-
ruary, March, April, May, June,
July, August, September, October,
November, December
.) 2. n. a
period of about 30 or 31 days; a
period of four weeks.
→
all month long

monthly ["m^nT li] 1. adj. happen-
ing every month; happening once
a month.
2. adv. every month;
once a month.
months running Go to days run-
ning.
monument ["man j@ m@nt] 1. n. a
structure that is built in memory
of a person or event.
2. n. some-
thing that preserves the memory
of a person, culture, or event.
(Figurative on Q.)
monetary
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mood ["mud] 1. n. a state of mind;
the way one is feeling.
2. n. a fea-
ture of a verb that shows whether
it is a statement, a command, or a
wish;
mode W.
→
in no mood to
do something
→ in the mood for
something

→ in the mood to
do something
moon ["mun] 1. n. a large natural
satellite that orbits around a
planet.
2. n. the natural satellite
that orbits around the earth.
→
ask for the moon
→ once in a blue moon
→ promise
someone
the moon
→ promise the moon (to
someone
)
moonlight ["mun laIt] 1. n. the
light from a moon. (No plural.)
2. adj. done at night, while the
moon is shining; happening while
the moon is shining. (Prenominal
only.)
3. iv. to have a second job in
the evening or at night in addition
to the job one has during the day.
(Past tense and past participle:
moonlighted.)
moose ["mus] n., irreg. a northern
animal—similar to a large deer—
the males of which have wide, flat

horns on their heads. (Plural:
moose. See also
elk W.)
mop ["map] n. a group of thick,
heavy strings or a sponge, attached
to a pole, used wet or dry for
cleaning floors.
mop
something
down to clean a
surface with a mop.
mop
something
off to wipe the liq-
uid off something.
mop
something
up to clean some-
thing with a mop, a towel, a
sponge, etc.
mop up to clean up [liquid or dirt]
with a mop, a towel, a sponge, etc.
moral ["mor @l] 1. adj. of or about
good and bad, according to soci-
ety’s standards of right and wrong.
(Adv: morally.)
2. adj. showing or
representing good behavior and
values. (Adv: morally.)
3. n. the

lesson that can be learned from a
story.
moral support ["mor @l s@ "port] n.
help that is mental or psychologi-
cal rather than physical or mone-
tary.
morale [m@ "rAl] n. confidence; the
amount of confidence felt by a
person or group of people. (No
plural.)
morality [m@ "rAl @ ti] n. the good-
ness or rightness of someone’s
behavior; good behavior measured
by society’s standards of right and
wrong. (No plural.)
morals n. a person’s moral Q prin-
ciples of behavior, especially con-
cerning sex. (Treated as plural, but
not countable.)
more ["mor] 1. adj. the comparative
form of
much or many; a greater
amount or number. (Prenominal
only.)
2. pron. the comparative
form of
much or many; a greater
amount or number.
3. n. an addi-
tional amount or number. (No

plural.)
4. adv. a word used to
form the comparative form of
some adjectives and adverbs; to a
greater extent.
5. adv. of a greater
amount.
→
bite off more than
one
can chew
→ wear more than one hat
more and more an increasing
amount; additional amounts.
more and more
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more than
one
can bear and
more than
one
can take; more
than one
can
stand more of
something, such as trouble or
something bad, than a person can
endure.

more than
one
can stand Go to
more than
one
can bear.
more than
one
can take Go to
more than
one
can bear.
morning ["mor nIN] 1. n. the period
of the day from midnight to noon.
2. n. dawn; sunrise. 3. adj. hap-
pening during Q. (Prenominal
only.)
→
first thing (in the morning)
the morning after (the night
before) the morning after a night
spent drinking, when one has a
hangover.
mornings adv. every morning Q.
morsel ["mor s@l] n. a small piece of
something, especially food.
mortal ["mor t@l] 1. n. a human
being; someone or something that
must die; someone or something
that will not live forever.

2. adj.
unable to live forever; having to
die at some time. (Adv: mortally.)
mortar ["mor t#] 1. n. a kind of
cement that binds bricks or stones
to each other, especially when a
wall is being built. (Plural only for
types and instances.)
2. n. a short,
wide cannon that shoots shells in a
high arc.
3. n. a hard bowl used to
hold substances being ground into
powder.
mortgage ["mor gIdZ] 1. n. an
agreement by which a borrower
grants a lender the ownership of
an asset in exchange for a loan of
money, thus protecting the loan
with the asset. (When the loan is
repaid, the ownership of the prop-
erty is returned to the borrower. If
the borrower is unable to pay the
loan, the asset then belongs to the
lender.)
2. tv. to use an asset to
secure a loan.
mosquito [m@ "skit o] n. a small
insect, the female of which sucks
blood from warm-blooded crea-

tures. (Plural ends in -s or -es.)
moss ["mOs] n. a small, soft green
plant without flowers that grows
in masses on rocks and other sur-
faces. (Plural only for types and
instances.)
most ["most] 1. adj. the superlative
form of
much or many; the greatest
amount or number. (Prenominal
only.)
2. adj. over half; almost all.
(Prenominal only. Adv: mostly.)
3. n. over half or almost all of a
certain group of things or people;
over half or almost all of some-
thing. (No plural. Treated as sin-
gular or plural, but not countable.)
4. adv. a word used to form the
superlative form of some adjec-
tives and adverbs; to the greatest
extent. (Usually with the.)
5. adv.
very. (Used for emphasis.)
mostly ["most li] 1. adv. more than
half; for the most part.
2. adv.
most of the time; usually.
motel [mo "tEl] n. a hotel for people
traveling by car; a hotel alongside a

highway.
moth ["mOT] n., irreg. a small insect
with large, broad wings and
antennae, similar to a butterfly,
but usually not as colorful. (Plural:
[
"mODz].)
more than one can bear
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mothball ["mOT bOl] n. a small ball
made of a substance that keeps
moths away from clothes.
mother ["m^D #] 1. n. a female
who has given birth to a child or
offspring.
2. n. a term of address
used with one’s own Q. (Capital-
ized when written as a proper
noun.)
3. adj. [of one’s language
or country] native. (Prenominal
only.)
4. tv. to take care of some-
one in the manner of Q.
→
tied to
one’s
mother’s apron

strings
motherhood ["m^D # hUd] n. the
state of being a mother. (No plu-
ral.)
motion ["mo S@n] 1. n. movement;
moving. (Plural only for types and
instances.)
2. n. a formal proposal
that something be done, made
during a meeting.
3. tv. to direct
someone by moving a part of one’s
body, usually the hands.
4. iv. to
point or indicate by moving a part
of one’s body, usually the hands.
→
go through the motions
→ slow motion
→ table a motion
motion picture ["mo S@n "pIk tS#]
n. a movie; a film; a story on film.
motion
someone
aside to give a
hand signal to someone to move
aside.
motion
someone
away from

someone or something
to give a
hand signal to someone to move
away from someone or something.
motive ["mot Iv] n. a reason for
doing something; something—
such as an idea, a need, or a way of
thinking—that causes a person to
do something.
motor ["mot #] n. an engine; a
machine that changes some kind
of fuel into power that can lift,
turn, or move things.
motorboat ["mot # bot] n. a boat
that is powered by a motor or
engine.
motorcycle ["mot # saI k@l] n. a
vehicle that has two wheels and a
frame larger and heavier than a
bicycle, and that is powered by a
motor.
motorist ["mot @ rIst] n. someone
who drives a car.
motto ["mat o] n. a short statement
that expresses a belief or a rule of
behavior. (Plural ends in -s or -es.)
mound ["maUnd] n. a small hill or
pile.
mount ["maUnt] 1. n. a support; an
object that something is attached

to or hung from.
2. n. a (particu-
lar) mountain. (Abbreviated Mt.)
3. tv. to get on an animal or vehi-
cle that one must ride with one leg
on either side of the animal or
vehicle.
4. tv. to climb something;
to go up something.
5. tv. to hang
something to a fixed support; to
attach something to a fixed sup-
port.
mount up
1.
to get up on a horse.
2. [for something] to increase in
amount or extent.
mountain ["maUnt n] 1. n. a very
tall mass of land that pushes up
from the surface of the earth; a
very tall hill.
2. n. a very tall pile of
something; a very large amount of
something. (Figurative on Q.)
mountain lion ["maUnt n "laI @n]
n. a large, American wild animal
mountain lion
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in the cat family, also called the
panther or the cougar.
mountain range ["maUnt n "rendZ]
n. a row or line of mountains.
mourn ["morn] 1. tv. to feel sorrow
or sadness about the death or loss
of someone or something. (E.g., to
mourn the death of someone.)
2. tv.
to feel sorrow or sadness about
someone who has died. (E.g., to
mourn someone.)
3. iv. to feel sor-
row or sadness, especially about
someone’s death. (E.g., to mourn
because of a death.)
mourner ["mor n#] n. someone
who mourns; someone who
attends a funeral.
mouse ["maUs] 1. n., irreg. a small,
furry rodent with tiny eyes and a
long tail, like a rat but smaller.
(Plural:
mice.) 2. n., irreg. a device
that can be moved around by one
hand to control the movements of
a pointer on a computer screen.
(Plural:
mice or mouses.)

→
(as) poor as a church mouse
→ (as) quiet as a mouse
→ play cat and mouse (with
someone
)
mousetrap ["maUs trAp] n. a sim-
ple device that is used to trap mice
that are indoor pests.
mousse ["mus] n. a rich, creamy
dessert made from cream, eggs,
and fruit or chocolate. (Plural only
for types and instances.)
mouth 1. ["maUT] n., irreg. the
opening on the faces of animals
where food and air enter the body.
(Plural: [
"maUDz].) 2. ["maUT] n.,
irreg. an opening of something;
the entrance to something. (Figu-
rative on Q.)
3. ["maUT] n., irreg.
the place where a river joins a lake,
sea, or ocean.
4. ["maUD] tv. to
move Q as if one were speaking
but without producing actual
speech.
→
born with a silver spoon in

one’s
mouth
→ by word of mouth
→ down in the mouth
→ foam at the mouth
→ have a big mouth
→ have foot-in-mouth disease
→ have
one’s
heart in
one’s
mouth
→ laugh out of the other side of
one’s
mouth
→ leave a bad taste in
someone’s
mouth
→ live from hand to mouth
→ look as if butter wouldn’t melt
in
one’s
mouth
→ make
someone’s
mouth water
→ melt in
one’s
mouth
→ not open

one’s
mouth
→
one’s
heart is in
one’s
mouth
→ put
one’s
foot in
one’s
mouth
→ put words into
someone’s
mouth
→ Put your money where your
mouth is!
→ stick
one’s
foot in
one’s
mouth
→ straight from the horse’s mouth
→ take the words (right) out of
one’s
mouth
mouthpiece ["maUT pis] 1. n. the
part of a musical instrument that
is blown into; the part of a musical
instrument that is put on or

between one’s lips.
2. n. the part of
a machine or device that is placed
on or next to someone or some-
thing’s mouth.
mouthwash ["maUT waS] n. a liq-
uid that is used to rinse one’s
mouth in order to make the breath
smell better or to kill germs in the
mouth.
move ["muv] 1. iv. to go to a differ-
ent time or space; to change posi-
mountain range
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tion in time or space. 2. iv. to be in
motion.
3. iv. to change where one
lives or works.
4. tv. to transport
someone or something to a differ-
ent time or space; to cause some-
one or something to change
position.
5. tv. to cause someone
or something to remain in motion.
6. tv. to affect someone’s emotions
or feelings.
7. tv. to formally make

a suggestion at a meeting; to for-
mally propose something. (The
object is a clause with
that U.)
8. n. an instance of changing posi-
tion as in Q; a movement.
9. n.
the act of going to a new house to
live.
10. n. one step in a plan; an
action that has a specific result.
11. n. a player’s turn in a game.
→
on the move
→ prime mover
move away (from
someone or
something
) 1. to withdraw from
someone or something.
2. to
move, with one’s entire household,
to another residence.
move back (from
someone or
something
) to move back and away
from someone or something.
(Often a command.)
move heaven and earth to

do
something
to make a major effort
to do something.
move in (for
something
) to get
closer for some purpose, such as a
kill.
move in (on
someone or some-
thing
) 1. to move closer to some-
one or something; to make
advances or aggressive movements
toward someone or something.
(Both literal and figurative
senses.)
2. to attempt to take over
or dominate someone or some-
thing.
move in(to
something
) 1. [for
someone] to come to reside in
something or someplace.
2. to
enter something or someplace.
3. to begin a new line of activity.
move off (from

someone or some-
thing
) to move away from some-
one or something.
move on to continue moving; to
travel on; to move away and not
stop.
move on
something
to do some-
thing about something.
move on (to
something
) to change
to a different subject or activity.
move out (of
someplace
) 1. to
leave a place; to begin to depart.
2. to leave a place of residence
permanently.
move
someone
up to advance or
promote someone.
move up (in the world) to
advance (oneself) and become
successful.
move up (to
something

) to
advance to something; to purchase
a better quality of something.
movement ["muv m@nt] 1. n. mov-
ing; changing position in time or
space. (Plural only for types and
instances.)
2. n. a division of a
symphony or other classical work
of music.
3. n. a common social or
political goal and the people who
work together to promote it.
→
bowel movement
movie ["muv i] 1. n. a film; a
motion picture; a story on film.
2. the adj. use of Q.
movie
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mow ["mo] tv., irreg. to cut grass.
(Past participle: mowed or
mown.)
mow
someone or something
down
to cut, knock, or shoot someone or
something down.

mower ["mo #] n. a machine used
to cut grass evenly. (Short for
lawn
mower.
)
→
lawn mower
mown ["mon] a past participle of
mow.
Mr. ["mIst #] n. a title for an adult
male. (The abbreviation of
mis-
ter
.)
Mrs. ["mIs @z] n. a title for a mar-
ried woman.
Ms. ["mIz] n. a title for an adult
female.
much ["m^tS] 1. adv., irreg. to a
great extent; to a great degree; a
lot. (Comp:
more; sup: most.)
2. adj., irreg. a lot; to quite an
extent or degree. (Comp:
more;
sup: most.) 3. n. a large extent; a
large degree; a large amount. (No
plural.)
→
how much

→ take too much on
mucus ["mju k@s] n. the slimy sub-
stance secreted by the body to
protect and moisten certain tis-
sues. (No plural.)
mud ["m^d] n. a mixture of dirt
and water; very wet soil. (No plu-
ral.)
→
(as) clear as mud
muddle through (
something
) to
manage to get through something
awkwardly.
muddy ["m^d i] 1. adj. covered
with mud. (Adv: muddily. Comp:
muddier; sup: muddiest.)
2. adj.
not clear; cloudy. (Said especially
of colors or liquids. Figurative on
Q. Adv: muddily. Comp: muddier;
sup: muddiest.)
muffler ["m^f l#] 1. n. part of the
exhaust system of a car that soft-
ens the noises of the engine.
2. n. a
scarf that can be wrapped around
the neck for warmth.
mug ["m^g] 1. n. a drinking cup

with a handle.
2. n. the contents of
Q.
3. tv. to attack and rob some-
one.
mugger ["m^g #] n. someone who
attacks and robs people on the
street.
muggy ["m^g i] adj. hot and humid.
(Adv: muggily. Comp: muggier;
sup: muggiest.)
mulch ["m^ltS] 1. n. plant matter or
other material spread on plants to
protect them and to retain the
moisture in the soil. (Plural only
for types and instances.)
2. tv. to
spread Q around plants in a gar-
den.
mule ["mjul] n. the offspring of one
horse and one donkey.
→
(as) stubborn as a mule
mull
something
over to think over
something; to ponder something.
multiple ["m^l t@ p@l] 1. adj.
involving many parts; consisting
of many parts. (Adv: multiply

[
"m^l t@ pli].) 2. n. a number that
can be divided by another number
without a remainder; a number
that can be divided evenly by
another number.
multiply ["m^l t@ plaI] 1. tv. to
increase something.
2. iv. to
mow
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reproduce; to have offspring; to
breed.
3. iv. to increase.
multiply
a number
by
a number
to
add an amount to itself the num-
ber of times shown by another
number; to perform multiplica-
tion.
multiply by
something
to use the
arithmetic process of multiplica-
tion to expand numerically a cer-

tain number of times.
munch ["m^ntS] tv. to eat a crisp
food that makes a noise; to eat
something noisily.
munch on
something
to eat some-
thing; to chew on something.
municipal [mju "nIs @ p@l] adj. of,
for, or serving a city, town, or vil-
lage. (Adv: municipally.)
mural ["mjUr @l] n. a picture or
scene that is painted on the surface
of a wall.
murder ["m# d#] 1. n. the killing
of a human, done on purpose and
against the law.
2. tv. to kill some-
one on purpose and against the
law.
→
be murder on
something
→ cry bloody murder
→ scream bloody murder
murderer ["m# d# #] n. someone
who kills someone else; someone
who is found guilty of murder.
murmur ["m# m#] 1. n. a low,
quiet sound.

2. n. an irregular
sound made by the heart, caused
by defects in the heart.
3. iv. to
make low, quiet sounds; to speak
very quietly.
4. tv. to say some-
thing very quietly. (The object can
be a clause with
that U.)
muscle ["m^s @l] 1. n. a group of
long tissues in the body that can
be shortened to make parts of the
body move.
2. n. strength; power.
(No plural. Figurative on Q.)
muscle in (on
someone or some-
thing
) to interfere with someone
or something; to intrude on some-
one or something.
muscle
someone
out (of
some-
thing
) to force someone out of
something; to push someone out
of something.

muscular ["m^s kj@ l#] 1. adj. in or
of the muscles.
2. adj. having mus-
cles that are strong and well devel-
oped. (Adv: muscularly.)
museum [mju "zi @m] n. a building
where art or things of or about sci-
ence, history, or some other sub-
ject are placed on display for the
public to see and learn about.
mushroom ["m^S rum] 1. n. a kind
of fungus that is often used as
food.
2. iv. to grow very quickly or
suddenly.
mushroom into
something
to grow
suddenly into something large or
important.
mushy ["m^S i] adj. soft and pulpy.
(Adv: mushily. Comp: mushier;
sup: mushiest.)
music ["mju zIk] 1. n. the sounds of
the voice or of instruments mak-
ing pleasant tones in a series or a
series of groups. (No plural in
standard English. Number is
expressed with piece(s) of music.)
2. n. a piece of paper that shows

the notes of a particular song or
melody. (No plural.)
→
face the music
music
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→ set
something
to music
musical ["mju zI k@l] 1. adj. caus-
ing music to be made; producing
notes or tones. (Adv: musically
[
Ik li].) 2. adj. of or about
music. (Adv: musically [
Ik li].)
3. n. a play or movie in which
the actors sing songs, usually as
a way of moving the story
forward.
musician [mju "zI S@n] n. someone
who plays a musical instrument;
someone who writes music;
someone who is in a band or
an orchestra.
muss
something
(up) ["m^s ] to

make something messy, especially
one’s hair; to move someone’s hair
out of place.
mussel ["m^s @l] n. a kind of shell-
fish, usually having very dark
shells, that can be eaten as food.
must ["m^st] 1. aux. a form show-
ing a requirement to do some-
thing; [to] have to [do some-
thing]. (Uses had to for a past
tense.)
2. aux. a form indicating
probability or likelihood. (Uses
the form has to have plus the past
participle or must have plus the
past participle for a past tense.)
3. n. something that is necessary
or essential.
must not aux. a form that indicates
what one is not allowed to do.
mustache ["m^s tAS] n. hair that
grows on the upper lip.
mustard ["m^s t#d] 1. n. a plant
with a bright yellow flower. (No
plural.)
2. n. a seasoning or sauce
made from the powdered seeds of
Q, water or vinegar, and spices.
(Plural only for types and
instances.)

muster (up)
one’s
courage to
build up one’s courage; to call or
bring forth one’s courage.
mustn’t ["m^s @nt] cont. must not.
(Indicates what one is not allowed
to do or what one may not do.)
musty ["m^s ti] adj. smelling old
and stale; smelling like mold.
(Adv: mustily. Comp: mustier; sup:
mustiest.)
mutual ["mju tSu @l] 1. adj. shared
by two or more people; equally felt
or done by each person toward the
other. (Adv: mutually.)
2. adj.
common to two or more people;
known to two or more people.
(Adv: mutually.)
mutual fund ["mju tSu @l "f^nd] n.
an investment in which a large
number of people own shares of
investments in many assets. (Can
be shortened to
fund.)
muzzle ["m^z @l] 1. n. [in certain
animals] the part of the face that
sticks out.
2. n. a cover put over

the mouth of an animal so that it
will not bite someone or some-
thing.
3. n. the front end of a gun;
the barrel of a gun.
4. tv. to put W
on an animal.
my ["maI] 1. pron. the first-person
singular possessive pronoun.
(Describes people or things
belonging to the speaker or writer.
Used as a modifier before a noun.
Compare this with
mine Y.)
2. interj. a word used to show
surprise.
myself [maI "sElf] 1. pron. the first-
person singular reflexive pronoun.
musical
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2. pron. Q used to emphasize the
speaker or the writer as subject of
the sentence.
→
by myself
mystery ["mIs t@ ri] 1. n. the qual-
ity of not being explained, known,
or understood; the quality of

being hidden or secret. (Plural
only for types and instances.)
2. n.
a book that involves a crime or
murder that is solved in the story.
3. the adj. use of Q.
myth ["mIT] 1. n. a fable; a story
that explains a mystery of nature
or tells how something came into
existence.
2. n. someone or some-
thing that is imaginary or
invented; something that is not
based in fact. (Figurative on Q.)
mythical ["mIT @ k@l] adj. imagi-
nary; [of a character, story, or sit-
uation] invented. (Adv: mythically
[
Ik li].)
mythology [mIT "al @ dZi] 1. n. the
study of myths. (Plural only for
types and instances.)
2. n. a col-
lection of myths about someone,
something, or some culture.
mythology
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