I. ˈmau̇s noun
( plural mice ˈmīs)
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English mūs; akin to Old High German mūs mouse, Latin mus, Greek mys mouse, muscle
Date: before 12th century
1. : any of numerous small rodents (as of the genus Mus ) with pointed snout, rather small ears, elongated body, and slender tail
2. : a timid person
3. : a dark-colored swelling caused by a blow ; specifically : black eye
4. plural also mous·es : a small mobile manual device that controls movement of the cursor and selection of functions on a computer display
II. ˈmau̇z verb
( moused ; mous·ing )
Date: 13th century
intransitive verb
1. : to hunt for mice
2. : to search or move stealthily or slowly
transitive verb
1. obsolete
a. : bite , gnaw
b. : to toy with roughly
2. : to search for carefully — usually used with out