moon Hear it!

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moon definition

moon (mo̵̅o̅n)

noun

  1. the celestial body that revolves around the earth from west to east in c. 27 days with reference to the stars and once in c. 29 days with reference to the sun, and that accompanies the earth in its yearly revolution about the sun: diameter, c. 3,476 km (c. 2,160 mi); mean distance from the earth, c. 384,404 km (c. 238,857 mi); mean density, c. that of the earth; mass, c.; volume, c.: with the
  2. this body as it appears during a particular lunar month or period of time, or at a particular time of the month
  3. a month; esp., a lunar month
  4. moonlight
  5. anything shaped like the moon (i.e., an orb or crescent)
  6. any natural satellite; esp., a natural satellite of a planet

Etymology: ME mone < OE mona, akin to Goth mēna < IE *mēn-, month, moon (> L mensis, Gr mēn, month, mēne, moon) < base mē-, to measure

intransitive verb

  1. to behave in an idle, dreamy, or abstracted way, as when in love
  2. Etymology: from an earlier slang use of the noun, meaning “buttocks”

    Slang to engage in the prank of momentarily baring one's buttocks in public

Etymology: from the notion of behaving as if moonstruck

transitive verb

  1. to pass (time) in mooning
  2. Slang to expose one's buttocks to (someone) as a prank
moon Idioms

once in a blue moon

very seldom; almost never

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:
moon Synonyms

moon

n.

satellite, celestial body, heavenly body, planet, secondary planet, planetoid, crescent, new moon, halfmoon, full moon, old moon, orb of night*, Diana*, Luna*, Phoebe*, Cynthia*, moon goddess*, dry moon*, wet moon*, sailor's friend*; see also satellite 1.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

moon Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • wane: Over the Salem river, very close to the horizon, a waning moon, about 40 % full, was rising.

Preposition: in

  • orbit: The Moon in orbit around the Earth is simulated with the phase of the Moon, as seen from Earth, clearly shown.

Adjective modifier

  • crescent: The only markings were the symbol in silver of Pluto which was cradled in a golden crescent moon over the left breast.

Modifies a noun

  • landing: The Apollo moon landing is topping many of these lists.

Noun used with modifier

  • crescent: And poised on its top most bough, a crystal crescent moon glistened like spun glass.
moon usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

moon quotes

The sun provides the moon with its brightness.

-Anaxagoras

Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon, July1969.We came in peace for all mankind.

-Anonymous

So there he is at last. Man on the moon. The poor magnificent bungler! He can't even get to the office without undergoing theagonies of the damned, but give hima littlemetal, a fewchemicals,somewireand twenty or thirty billion dollars and vroom! there he is, up on a rock a quarter of a million miles up in the sky.

-Baker, Russell Wayne

moon quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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"moon." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/moon>

APA Style

moon. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/moon

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