1. n. & v.
--n.
1. a a drinking-vessel, usu. cylindrical and with a handle and used without a saucer. b its contents.
2 sl. the face or mouth of a person.
3 Brit. sl. a a simpleton. b a gullible person.
4 US sl. a hoodlum or thug.
--v. (mugged, mugging)
1. tr. rob (a person) with violence esp. in a public place.
2 tr. thrash.
3 tr. strangle.
4 intr. sl. make faces, esp. before an audience, a camera, etc.
Phrases and idioms:
a mug's game Brit. colloq. a foolish or unprofitable activity. mug shot sl. a photograph of a face, esp. for official purposes.
Derivatives:
mugger n. (esp. in sense 1 of v.). mugful n. (pl. -fuls). mugging n. (in sense 1 of v.).
Etymology: prob. f. Scand.: sense 2 of n. prob. f. the representation of faces on mugs, and sense 3 prob. from this 2. v.tr. (mugged, mugging) Brit. (usu. foll. by up) sl. learn (a subject) by concentrated study.
Etymology: 19th c.: orig. unkn.