noun
Uncommon
mole
mohl
Mole (noun) means a small, raised, often dark spot on the skin. Example: “The doctor checked an unusual mole on his back.”
noun
1
A small, raised, often dark spot on the skin.
"The doctor checked an unusual mole on his back."
"She has a small brown mole just below her left ear."
"The nurse told him to watch the mole for any change in shape."
2
A small burrowing mammal with tiny eyes and large digging paws.
"Moles had left small mounds of dirt across the lawn."
"A mole pushed up through the soil beside the vegetable patch last night."
"Because a mole spends nearly its whole life underground, few people ever see one."
3
A spy who has secretly infiltrated an organization to pass on its secrets.
"Investigators suspected there was a mole inside the agency."
"The novel follows a detective hunting for the mole who leaked the files."
"Nobody suspected that the quiet clerk was actually a mole working for a rival firm."
4
(chemistry) The standard unit for measuring an amount of a substance.
"One mole of carbon-12 weighs exactly 12 grams."
"The teacher asked us to calculate how many molecules are in one mole of water."
"A mole is a convenient unit because it links tiny atoms to measurable amounts."
How to use mole
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishMost commonly a skin blemish or the small burrowing animal; also used for a secret infiltrator, and, in chemistry, a unit of quantity.
Common pairings
mole on the skin
double agent mole
a mole in the organization
Vocabulary Flow
Build your vocabulary from words like mole.
Vocabulary Flow serves the next word, and the next — meaning, pronunciation and an example each time. Practice at your level, or learn English in your own language.
Start vocabulary practice
Word forms
- Plural
- moles
- Third person singular
- moles
- Past tense
- moled
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The doctor checked an unusual _____ on his back.
Etymology
The skin-spot and animal senses trace back to Old English mal, meaning "spot" or "blemish." The chemistry unit comes from a shortening of "molecule."
Synonyms
View more →
birthmark
infiltrator
spy
informant
jetty
groyne
breakwater
bulwark
groin
counterspy
molewarp
mouldwarp
Related words
Rhymes for mole
See all rhymes for mole →Frequently asked questions
What does “mole” mean?
The word “mole” means a small, raised, often dark spot on the skin. In plain terms, most commonly a skin blemish or the small burrowing animal; also used for a secret infiltrator, and, in chemistry, a unit of quantity.
How do you pronounce “mole”?
“Mole” is pronounced mohl (/mol/ in IPA).
How do you use “mole” in a sentence?
Here is “mole” used in a sentence: “The doctor checked an unusual mole on his back.”
What is another word for “mole”?
Words with a similar meaning to “mole” include molewarp and mouldwarp.
What part of speech is “mole”?
“Mole” is a noun.
Where does the word “mole” come from?
The word “mole” comes from Old English. The skin-spot and animal senses trace back to Old English mal, meaning "spot" or "blemish." The chemistry unit comes from a shortening of "molecule.".
Is “mole” a common word?
“Mole” is an uncommon word in modern English.
How many meanings does “mole” have?
“Mole” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small, raised, often dark spot on the skin.
What is the difference between a mole on the skin and a mole the animal?
A skin mole is a small, raised, often dark spot, while the animal mole is a small burrowing mammal with tiny eyes and large digging paws. The two senses are unrelated in meaning but share the same spelling.
What does mole mean in the context of spying?
In espionage, a mole is a spy who has secretly infiltrated an organization, often over a long period, to pass along its secrets from the inside. This sense is common in fiction and news coverage of intelligence agencies.
What does mole mean in chemistry?
In chemistry, a mole is the standard unit for measuring an amount of a substance, used to count particles like atoms or molecules. It is one of the base units in the International System of Units.
How can you tell which meaning of mole is intended in a sentence?
Context makes the meaning clear: skin care topics point to the dermatological sense, gardening or nature topics point to the animal, spy stories point to the espionage sense, and science topics point to the chemistry unit.
