mud

[muhd]

noun

1. wet, soft earth or earthy matter, as on the ground after rain, at the bottom of a pond, or along the banks of a river; mire.

2. Informal.,  scandalous or malicious assertions or information.

   The opposition threw a lot of mud at our candidate.

3. Slang.,  brewed coffee, especially when strong or bitter.

4. a mixture of chemicals and other substances pumped into a drilling rig chiefly as a lubricant for the bit and shaft.

verb (used with object)

mudded, mudding 

1. to cover, smear, or spatter with mud.

   to mud the walls of a hut.

2. to stir up the mud or sediment in.

   waders mudding the clear water.

verb (used without object)

mudded, mudding 

1. to hide in or burrow into mud.

mud

/ mʌd /

noun

1. a fine-grained soft wet deposit that occurs on the ground after rain, at the bottom of ponds, lakes, etc

2. informal,  slander or defamation

3. informal,  not at all clear

4. to disgrace or defame someone

5. informal,  a humorous drinking toast

6. informal,  someone is disgraced

7. informal,  to slander; vilify

verb

1. (tr) to soil or cover with mud

Other Word Forms

• unmudded adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mud¹

1300–50; Middle English mudde, mode < Middle Low German mudde. mother ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of mud¹

C14: probably from Middle Low German mudde; compare Middle High German mot swamp, mud, Swedish modd slush

Idioms and Phrases

see clear as mud; name is mud; sling mud at.

Example Sentences

Roads in the area are often mud tracks winding around mountains - while homes are made of clay, stones and mud.

From BBC

Buildings in Afghanistan also tend to be made of timber, mud brick or weak concrete, which are not quake-resistant.

From BBC

The dramatic weather recalled torrential rains that flooded the camp in 2023, leaving thousands stranded in deep, sticky mud.

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s a whole new branch of lawyering that I, as a lawyer, didn’t grow up knowing, which is: If you get a story out, who cares if you drag people through the mud?”

From Salon

"The car would sink into the mud again and again," says Amira.

From BBC

Related Words

• clay 
• muck 
• silt 
• sludge 
• slush