mule
the offspring of a female horse and a male donkey; a stubborn person; a lounging slipper
Not to be confused with:
mewl – to cry or whimper as an infant or young child: the infant, mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
mule 1
(myo͞ol)n.
1. The sterile hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse, characterized by long ears and a short mane.
2. A sterile hybrid, as between a canary and other birds or between certain plants.
3. Informal A stubborn person.
4. A spinning machine that makes thread or yarn from fibers. Also called spinning mule.
5. A small, usually electric tractor or locomotive used for hauling over short distances.
6. Slang A person who serves as a courier of illegal drugs.
[Middle English, from Old French mul and from Old English mūl, both from Latin mūlus.]
mule 2
(myo͞ol)n.
A backless slipper or shoe, often with a closed toe.
[Probably French, slipper, possibly from Middle Dutch muil, ultimately from Latin mulleus (calceus), reddish-purple (ceremonial shoe).]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
mule
(mjuːl)n
1. (Animals) the sterile offspring of a male donkey and a female horse, used as a beast of burden. Compare hinny1
2. (Breeds) any hybrid animal: a mule canary.
3. (Textiles) Also called: spinning mule a machine invented by Samuel Crompton that spins cotton into yarn and winds the yarn on spindles
4. informal an obstinate or stubborn person
5. (Law) slang a person who is paid to transport illegal drugs for a dealer
[C13: from Old French mul, from Latin mūlus ass, mule]
mule
(mjuːl)n
(Clothing & Fashion) a backless shoe or slipper
[C16: from Old French from Latin mulleus a magistrate's shoe]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
mule1
(myul)n.
1. the sterile offspring of a female horse and a male donkey. Compare hinny.
2. a stubborn person.
3. a hybrid songbird, esp. of the canaryand another finch.
4. any sterile hybrid plant.
5. Slang. a person paid to transport contraband, esp. drugs, for a smuggler.
6. a machine for spinning cotton or other fibers into yarn and winding the yarn on spindles.
7. a hybrid coin having the obverse of one issue and the reverse of the succeeding issue.
[before 1000; Middle English < Old French < Latin mūla mule (feminine); replacing Old English mūl < Latin mūlus (masculine)]
mule2
(myul)n.
1. a lounging slipper that covers the toes and instep or only the instep.
2. a women's shoe resembling this.
[1555–65; Middle English: sore spot on the heel, chilblain, perhaps < Middle Dutch mūle]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Mule
The mule is a cross between a male donkey (Jack) and a mare. Because of the large difference between the donkey and horse families, the offsprings (mules) ordinarily do not reproduce and are thus not considered as a separate breed. Mules have short, thick heads, long ears, thin legs, small hoofs, and little hair on the root of the tail. They are most famous for their great stubbornness, loud braying or “heehawing,” and bad disposition. Mules were never as common as horses in the U.S. and, in the peak horse year of 1918, there were 21 million horses, and only about five million mules.
1001 Words and Phrases You Never Knew You Didn’t Know by W.R. Runyan Copyright © 2011 by W.R. Runyan
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
| Noun | 1. |  mule - hybrid offspring of a male donkey and a female horse; usually sterileEquus, genus Equus - type genus of the Equidae: only surviving genus of the family Equidae |
| 2. |  mule - a slipper that has no fitting around the heelcarpet slipper, slipper - low footwear that can be slipped on and off easily; usually worn indoors |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
mule
nounRelated words
collective noun barren
collective noun barren
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
بَغْلبَغْلٌخُف، شِبْشِب
mul
mezekmulmulapantofel
muldyrsmutters
mulo
muuli
mula
múlasnitöfflur
ラバ
노새
mulus
mulas
mūlisrītakurpe
mulmulica
mula
mula
ล่อ
katırarkalıksız terlik
con la
mule
1 [mjuːl]A. N (= animal) → mulo/a m/f (fig) (= person) → testarudo/a m/f
(as) stubborn as a mule → terco como una mula
(as) stubborn as a mule → terco como una mula
B. CPD mule track N → camino m de herradura
mule
2 [mjuːl] N (= slipper) → babucha fmule
3 [mjuːl] N (Tech) → máquina f de hilar intermitente, selfactina fCollins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
mule
1n
(Tech) → Selfaktor m
(inf: = drugs courier) → Drogenkurier(in) m(f)
mule
2Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
mule1
(mjuːl) noun an animal whose parents are a horse and an ass, known for its habit of being stubborn.
ˈmulish adjective stubborn.
mule2
(mjuːl) noun a loose, backless slipper.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
mule
→ بَغْلٌ mezek muldyr Maultier μουλάρι mula muuli mule mula mulo ラバ 노새 muildier muldyr muł mula мул mula ล่อ katır con la 骡子Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009