mop

mop¹ [mɔp US ma:p] n

[Date: 1400-1500; Origin: Perhaps from Latin mappa 'cloth (for cleaning)']

1.) a thing used for washing floors, consisting of a long stick with threads of thick string or a piece of ↑sponge fastened to one end

▪ a mop and bucket

2.) a thing used for cleaning dishes, consisting of a short stick with a piece of ↑sponge fastened to one end

3.) [usually singular] informal

a large amount of thick, often untidy hair

mop of

▪ He ran a hand through his mop of fair hair.

mop ²

mop² v past tense and past participle mopped present participle mopping

1.) [I and T]

to wash a floor with a wet mop

▪ She carried on mopping the floor.

2.) [T]

to dry your face by rubbing it with a cloth or something soft

= ↑wipe

▪ It was so hot he had to keep stopping to mop his face.

▪ The doctor mopped his brow (=removed sweat from his forehead) with a handkerchief.

3.) [I and T]

to remove liquid from a surface by rubbing it with a cloth or something soft

mop sth from sth

▪ She gently mopped the blood from the wound.

▪ He mopped the sweat from his face.

mop sth away

▪ She mopped the tears away with a lacy handkerchief.

4.) mop the floor with sb

AmE to completely defeat someone, for example in a game or argument

British Equivalent: wipe the floor with somebody

▪ We mopped the floor with the team from Pomona High.

mop up [mop sth/sb<=>up] phr v

1.) to remove liquid with a mop, a cloth, or something soft, especially in order to clean a surface

= ↑wipe up

▪ Mop the sauce up with your bread.

▪ He mopped up the spilt milk.

2.) to remove or deal with something which you think is undesirable or dangerous, so that it is no longer a problem

▪ The usual solution is to send in infantry to mop up any remaining opposition.

▪ The rebellion has been crushed, but mopping-up operations may take several weeks.