mouse Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails
  2. noun a swollen bruise caused by a blow to the eye
    black eye; shiner.
  3. noun person who is quiet or timid
  4. noun a hand-operated electronic device that controls the coordinates of a cursor on your computer screen as you move it around on a pad; on the bottom of the device is a ball that rolls on the surface of the pad
    computer mouse.
    • a mouse takes much more room than a trackball
  5. verb to go stealthily or furtively
    pussyfoot; sneak; creep.
    • ..stead of sneaking around spying on the neighbor's house
  6. verb manipulate the mouse of a computer

WordNet

Mouse noun
Etymology
OE. mous, mus, AS. m&umac;s, pl. m&ymac;s; akin to D. muis, G. maus, OHG. & Icel. m&umac;s, Dan. muus, Sw. mus, Russ. muishe, L. mus, Gr. my^s, Skr. m&umac;sh mouse, mush to steal. *277. Cf. Muscle, Musk.
Wordforms
plural Mice
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small rodents belonging to the genus Mus and various related genera of the family Muridæ. The common house mouse (Mus musculus) is found in nearly all countries. The American white-footed, or deer, mouse (Hesperomys leucopus) sometimes lives in houses. See Dormouse, Meadow mouse, under Meadow, and Harvest mouse, under Harvest.
  2. (Naut.) (a) A knob made on a rope with spun yarn or parceling to prevent a running eye from slipping. (b) Same as 2d Mousing, 2.
  3. A familiar term of endearment. Shak.
  4. A dark-colored swelling caused by a blow. Slang
  5. A match used in firing guns or blasting.
Mouse intransitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Moused ; present participle & verbal noun Mousing
Definitions
  1. To watch for and catch mice.
  2. To watch for or pursue anything in a sly manner; to pry about, on the lookout for something.
Mouse transitive verb
Definitions
  1. To tear, as a cat devours a mouse. Obs. "[Death] mousing the flesh of men." Shak.
  2. (Naut.) To furnish with a mouse; to secure by means of a mousing. See Mouse, n., 2.

Webster 1913