mote

C2 Topic:Register & Style

US /moʊt/ UK /məʊt/ See IPA manual

Homophones

Freq #56525

Meanings

1

noun
a tiny particle or speck, especially one visible in the air

A mote of dust drifted through the shaft of sunlight.
2

verb
archaic: may or might

What fate he mote encounter beyond the gate remained unknown.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a tiny particle or speck,... speck particle

2 verb · archaic: may or might might may

Word family

Forms motes

Related forms dust must

Etymology

The particle noun is inherited from Old English mot ("small particle"). The separate archaic modal verb comes from Old English motan ("be permitted or able; be obliged"), the same Germanic verb that produced modern must.

Topics

Register & Style General Vocabulary

External links

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