mouse

a small rodent; a computer device

Not to be confused with:

mousse – a dessert made with whipped cream; a gel or foam used to keep the hair in place

moose – a large mammal of the deer family; a member of a fraternal association

mouse

(mous)

n. pl. mice (mīs)

a. Any of numerous small rodents of the families Muridae and Cricetidae, such as the house mouse, characteristically having a pointed snout, small rounded ears, and a long naked or almost hairless tail.

b. Any of various similar or related animals, such as the jumping mouse, the vole, or the jerboa.

2. A cowardly or timid person.

3. Informal A discolored swelling under the eye caused by a blow; a black eye.

4. pl. mice or mous·es (mous′ĭz) Computers A handheld, button-activated input device that when rolled along a flat surface directs an indicator to move correspondingly about a computer screen, allowing the operator to move the indicator freely, as to select operations or manipulate text or graphics.

intr.v. (mouz, mous) moused, mous·ing, mous·es

1. To hunt mice.

2. To search furtively for something; prowl.

Phrasal Verb:

mouse over

To hold a computer pointer over (a particular object or area of a screen) so as to cause a pop-up box to appear or other change to occur.

[Middle English mous, from Old English mūs; see mūs- in Indo-European roots.]

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.

mouse

n, pl mice (maɪs)

1. (Animals) any of numerous small long-tailed rodents of the families Muridae and Cricetidae that are similar to but smaller than rats. See also fieldmouse, harvest mouse, house mouse

2. (Animals) any of various related rodents, such as the jumping mouse

3. a quiet, timid, or cowardly person

4. (Computer Science) computing a hand-held device used to control the cursor movement and select computing functions without keying

5. (Pathology) slang a black eye

6. (Nautical Terms) nautical another word for mousing

7. (Zoology) to stalk and catch (mice)

8. (intr) to go about stealthily

9. (Nautical Terms) (tr) nautical to secure (a hook) with mousing

[Old English mūs; compare Old Saxon mūs, German Maus, Old Norse mūs, Latin mūs, Greek mūs]

ˈmouseˌlike adj

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

mouse

(n. maʊs; v. maʊz)

n., pl. mice (maɪs) for 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8, mice or mous•es for 4, n.

1. any of numerous small rodents of various families, having small ears and a long, thin tail, esp. an Old World mouse, Mus musculus, introduced worldwide.

2. a quiet, timid person.

3. a palm-sized device equipped with one or more buttons, used to point at and select items on a computer screen, with the displayed pointer controlled by means of analogous movement of the device on a nearby surface.

4. Informal. a black eye.

5. Slang. a girl; woman.

v.i.

6. to hunt for or catch mice.

7. to prowl about, as if in search of something.

[before 900; Middle English mous, Old English mūs; c. Old Frisian, Old Saxon, Old High German mūs, Latin mūs, Greek mŷs, Russian mysh', Skt mūṣ-]

mouse′like`, adj.

mouse

(mous)

Plural mice (mīs)

1. Any of numerous small rodents usually having a pointed snout, rounded ears, and a long narrow tail. Some kinds live in or near human dwellings.

2. A movable hand-held device that is connected to a computer and is moved about on a flat surface to direct the cursor on a screen. A mouse also has buttons for activating computer functions.

The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

mouse

A moveable desktop device with a ball underneath which relays speed and direction, guiding a cursor across a screen.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	mouse - any of numerous small rodents typically resembling diminutive rats having pointed snouts and small ears on elongated bodies with slender usually hairless tails gnawer, rodent - relatively small placental mammals having a single pair of constantly growing incisor teeth specialized for gnawing house mouse, Mus musculus - brownish-grey Old World mouse now a common household pest worldwide Micromyx minutus, harvest mouse - small reddish-brown Eurasian mouse inhabiting e.g. cornfields fieldmouse, field mouse - any nocturnal Old World mouse of the genus Apodemus inhabiting woods and fields and gardens nude mouse - a mouse with a genetic defect that prevents them from growing hair and also prevents them from immunologically rejecting human cells and tissues; widely used in preclinical trials wood mouse - any of various New World woodland mice
	2.	mouse - a swollen bruise caused by a blow to the eye black eye, shiner bruise, contusion - an injury that doesn't break the skin but results in some discoloration
	3.	mouse - person who is quiet or timid individual, mortal, person, somebody, someone, soul - a human being; "there was too much for one person to do"
	4.	mouse - a hand-operated electronic device that controls the coordinates of a cursor on your computer screen as you move it around on a pad; on the bottom of the device is a ball that rolls on the surface of the pad; "a mouse takes much more room than a trackball" computer mouse electronic device - a device that accomplishes its purpose electronically mouse button - a push button on the mouse
Verb	1.	mouse - to go stealthily or furtively; "..stead of sneaking around spying on the neighbor's house" pussyfoot, sneak, creep walk - use one's feet to advance; advance by steps; "Walk, don't run!"; "We walked instead of driving"; "She walks with a slight limp"; "The patient cannot walk yet"; "Walk over to the cabinet"
	2.	mouse - manipulate the mouse of a computer manipulate - hold something in one's hands and move it

mouse

noun

Related words
adjective murine
like musomania
fear musophobia

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

mouse

noun

Informal. A bruise surrounding the eye:

black eye.

Slang: shiner.

verb

To move silently and furtively:

creep, glide, lurk, prowl, pussyfoot, skulk, slide, slink, slip, snake, sneak, steal.

Slang: gumshoe.

Translations

فَأرٌفأْرفَأْرَةفأرَة الكومبيوتر

мишка

myšmyška

mus

Maus mausen Mauszeiger

ποντίκι ποντικός ποντικοκούραδο

muso

ratón mouse

hiir

hiirihiirulainenhiiviskellä

souris

miš

egér

tikus

mústölvumús

topo mouse sorcio grigio topo insignificante

マウスハツカネズミ

마우스생쥐

mus

pelėpelėkautaipelių urvelispilkšvai rudas

peledatora pele

muiscomputermuis

mus datamus

mysz myszka myszka komputerowa

rato camundongo mouse

mausşoarece

мышь компьютерная мышь

myš

mišmiška

musdatormus

kipanya

เมาส์หนู

fare

chuộtchuột vi tính

鼠标老鼠鼠

mouse

[maʊs]

A. N (mice (pl))

1. (Zool) → ratón m

2. (Comput) → ratón m

B. CPD mouse mat, mouse pad N (Comput) → alfombrilla f, almohadilla f

C. VI → cazar ratones

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

mouse

[ˈmaʊs] [mice] (pl) n

(= rodent) → souris f
white mice → des souris blanches

[computer] → souris fmouse mat n → tapis m de sourismouse pad n → tapis m de souris

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

mouse

n pl <mice>

→ Maus f (also Comput)

(inf: = person) (shy) → schüchternes Mäuschen; (nondescript) → graue Maus

vi → Mäuse fangen, mausen; to go mousing → auf Mäusejagd gehen

mouse

in cpds → Mause-; (Comput) → Maus-;

mouse button

n (Comput) → Maustaste f

mouse click

n (Comput) → Mausklick m

mouse-coloured

adj → mausgrau

mouse control

n (Comput) → Maussteuerung f

mouse-controlled, mouse-driven

adj (Comput) → mausgesteuert

mousehole

n → Mauseloch nt

mouse mat, mouse pad

n (Comput) → Mausmatte f

mouse pointer

n (Comput) → Mauszeiger m

mouse potato

n (hum: = computer freak) → Computerjunkie m (inf), → Mouse-Potato f (inf)

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

mouse

[maʊs] n (mice (pl)) (gen) → topo (Comput) → mouse m inv
house mouse → topo domestico

mouse

(maus) – plural mice (mais) – noun

1. any of several types of small furry gnawing animal with a long tail, found in houses and in fields.

2. (computers) a device that is used to move the cursor on a computer screen and to give instructions to a computer.

ˈmousy adjective

1. (of hair) dull brown in colour.

2. timid; uninteresting. a mousy little woman.

ˈmousehole noun

a hole made or used by mice.

ˈmousetrap noun

a mechanical trap for a mouse.

mouse

→ فَأرٌ, فَأْرَة myš mus Maus ποντίκι mouse, ratón hiiri souris miš mouse, topo ハツカネズミ, マウス 마우스, 생쥐 muis datamus, mus mysz, myszka komputerowa mouse, rato компьютерная мышь, мышь mus เมาส์, หนู fare chuột, chuột vi tính 老鼠, 鼠标

mouse

n. ratón, [small] ratoncito.

mouse

n (pl mice) ratón m

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

As it came nearer the Tin Woodman saw that running before the beast was a little gray field mouse, and although he had no heart he knew it was wrong for the Wildcat to try to kill such a pretty, harmless creature.

The field mouse, now that it was freed from its enemy, stopped short; and coming slowly up to the Woodman it said, in a squeaky little voice:

View in context

A cat had made acquaintance with a mouse, and had spoken so much of the great love and friendship she felt for her, that at last the Mouse consented to live in the same house with her, and to go shares in the housekeeping.

'Yes, go certainly,' replied the Mouse, 'and when you eat anything good, think of me; I should very much like a drop of the red christening wine.'

View in context

THIS is a Pussy called Miss Moppet, she thinks she has heard a mouse!

View in context

A certain cat had made the acquaintance of a mouse, and had said so much to her about the great love and friendship she felt for her, that at length the mouse agreed that they should live and keep house together.

View in context

Just then she heard something splashing about in the pool a little way off, and she swam nearer to make out what it was: at first she thought it must be a walrus or hippopotamus, but then she remembered how small she was now, and she soon made out that it was only a mouse that had slipped in like herself.

View in context

So the Tin Woodman blew a shrill note upon a silver whistle that hung around his neck, and presently a tiny grey mouse popped from a near-by hole and advanced fearlessly toward them.

View in context

Some said this, and some said that; but at last a young mouse got up and said he had a proposal to make, which he thought would meet the case.

View in context

9-12) One day a thirsty Mouse who had escaped the ferret, dangerous foe, set his soft muzzle to the lake's brink and revelled in the sweet water.

View in context

And I am the more persuaded of that suspicion, if one can call it so, by the fact that if you take, for instance, the antithesis of the normal man, that is, the man of acute consciousness, who has come, of course, not out of the lap of nature but out of a retort (this is almost mysticism, gentlemen, but I suspect this, too), this retort-made man is sometimes so nonplussed in the presence of his antithesis that with all his exaggerated consciousness he genuinely thinks of himself as a mouse and not a man.

View in context

Squeak!" said a little Mouse, at the same moment, peeping out of his hole.

View in context