The Facts on File Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases (Writers Reference) (51 page)

modulus (modyoolas) LATIN [a small
measure, diminutive of modus mode]
noun (plural moduluses or moduli,
modyoolee) (in physics) a coefficient;
(in mathematics) a number divided into
another number in a congruence relation; (in architecture) a unit of length
by which proportions are expressed.

modus (modas) LATIN [way, method]
noun (plural modi, mod!) a method,
way, procedure.

modus operandi (modas oparandee,
modas oparandi) LATIN [mode of
operating] noun phrase (plural modi
operandi, modee oparandee, modee
oparandi, mod! oparandee, modi
oparand!) a method or procedure, a
way of doing things: "An example of the
lawyer's modus operandi was provided by his
treatment of his client."

modus vivendi (modas vivendee,
modas vivedi) LATIN [mode of living] noun phrase (plural modi vivendi,
modee vivendee, modee vivendi,
modi vivendee, modi vivendi) a
manner of living, a way of life, a
practical working arrangement: "One
would almost have supposed Henchard to
have had policy to see that no better modus
vivendi could be arrived at with Farfrae
than by encouraging him to become his
son-in-law" (Thomas Hardy, The Mayor
of Casterbridge, 1886).

mogul (ITlogal), moghul PERSIAN
from mughal, from Mongolian mongyol mongol] noun an Indian Muslim of Mongolian, Turkish, or Persian
descent or, more generally, a magnate
or prominent personality in business or the media: "Small concerns like
theirs are at the mercy o f the Wall Street
moguls."

mohair (mohair) ITALIAN [from mocaiarro, from Arabic mukhayyar] noun
a type of fabric or yarn made from
the silky coat or fleece of the Angora
goat. -adjective of or relating to such
fabric: "She refused to part with her old
mohair coat."

moi (mwa) FRENCH [me] pronoun
me, I, myself.

moire (mwahr) FRENCH [from mouaire mohair] noun a watered fabric
(usually mohair or silk). -adjective of
or relating to such fabric: "We see the

ladies go out shopping ... waiting while
they make the nice young clerks pull
down tons and tons of silks and velvets
and moire antiques and those things..."
(Mark Twain, The Innocents Abroad,
1869).

moire (moray, mwahr), moire
(moray, mwahrav, mwah) FRENCH
[from moirer to give a watered appearance to] noun a watered fabric or a
fabric or other material with a rippled
or wavy texture, or appearance; can
also refer to the shimmering patterns produced when geometric patterns are superimposed on each other
slightly out of alignment.

mollah See MULLAH.

motto (molto) ITALIAN [neuter of
multus much] adverb (in music) very,
much: "`Signor Kirkwood well,-molto
bene,' said Paolo. `Why does he keep out of
sight as he does?' asked the doctor" (Oliver Wendell Holmes, Mortal Antipathy,
1885).

momentum (momenta-ml mamentam) LATIN [movement] noun (plural
momentums or momenta, momenta,
mamenta) the impetus or force
generated by a body in motion: "The
momentum of a pendulum is governed by
certain fundamental laws of physics."

mon ami (mon amee) FRENCH [my
friend] noun phrase (plural mes amis,
mez amee) my friend.

mon Cher (mon shair) FRENCH [my
dear] noun phrase my dear.

mondaine (monde) FRENCH [fashionable, worldly] noun a fashionable
woman, a woman of the world: `It is
many weary months before the small English
lady etiquette-bound as the most worldworn mondaine is at home in foreign
`society"' (Westminster Gazette, May 28,
1902). adjective fashionable, worldly.

mono- (mono) GREEK [from monos
alone] prefix one or single, e.g.,
monogamy, monorail.

monocoque (monikok) FRENCH [from
mono one and coque eggshell] noun a
type of vehicle construction in which
the body and chassis are one or in
which the outer covering bears all the
load: `Many modern boat designers favor
the inbuilt strength and simplicity of the
monocoque."

monologue (monolog), monolog
FRENCH [speaking alone, from Greek
mono one and logos speaking] noun a
drama or part of a drama in which just
one character speaks, a soliloquy: "He
delivered the monologue in a single spotlight from the edge of the stage."

monsieur (mas i) FRENCH [my lord,
sir] noun (plural messieurs, mesya)
a Frenchman of high social status,
or a conventional term of address
for any gentleman. ' abbreviated
form M.

monsignor (manseen manseenyar) ITALIAN [my lord, from monsignore, from French monseigneur] noun
(plural monsignors or monsignori,
monsaynee) an honorific title
borne by Roman Catholic priests
or prelates: "Upon this the duke ...
communicated his designs to eight of his
most trusted followers, among whom were
Don Michele and the Monsignor d'Euna,
who was afterwards cardinal..." (Niccolo
Machiavelli, The Prince, 1532).

monsoon (monsoon) DUTCH [from
monssoen, from Portuguese moncao,
from Arabic mawsim time, season]
noun the rainy season in tropical and
subtropical climates, characterized by
strong winds and heavy rainfall: "The
onset of the monsoon was signaled by towering rainclouds and a rising wind."

mons pubis (monz pyOObas) LATIN
[pubic eminence] noun phrase (plural
montes pubis, monteez )oobas) a
rounded mass of fatty tissue above
the pubic bones (usually referring to
females).

monstre sacre (monstra sakr )
FRENCH [sacred monster] noun phrase
(plural monstres sacres) a controversial, eccentric, or otherwise
notable public figure who generally
provokes strong, often antagonistic,
feelings.

mons veneris (monz veneris) LATIN
[mountain of Venus] noun phrase the mops pubis in the female; can also
refer to the ball of the thumb.

montage (montazh, monj) FRENCH
[assembly, putting together, from
monter to mount] noun (in the arts) a
collection of images gathered together
in a single composition; may also refer
to a series of film clips edited together
in a movie or, more generally, to any
heterogeneous misture: `Her latest work
is a montage of monochrome images projected onto the wall of a cathedral."

most de piete (mon da peeayt4),
mont-de-piece FRENCH [mount of
piety, from a mistranslation of Italian
monte di pieta loan of pity] noun phrase
(plural monts de piete) a pawnbroker's shop, especially a state-run organization lending money to the poor at
reasonable rates of interest: "Valuable
effects were there daily sold for a twentieth
part of their original cost, and the vicomtesse
saw her little stores diminish daily; for the
Mont de Piete was obliged to regulate its own
proceedings by the received current values
of the day" (James Fenimore Cooper,
Autobiography of a Pocket-Handkerchief,
1843).

montera (montaira), montero
(montairo) SPANISH [hunter, from
monte mountain] noun a round hat
with ear flaps, as traditionally worn by
hunters in Spain and elsewhere.

mon vieux (mon(g) ) FRENCH [my
old man] noun phrase my old friend.

moquette (moket) FRENCH [possibly from Italian mocaiardo mohair]
noun a fabric with a velvety pile
used for carpets and upholstery.

morale (maral, marahl) FRENCH
[from moral] noun the emotional or
mental attitude of an individual or
group: "The morale of the team dipped
with the news that their captain had been
injured and would be unable to play in
the big game."

moratorium (mordtoreem) LATIN
[thing causing delay, neuter of moratorius dilatory, from morari to delay] noun
(plural moratoriums or moratoria,
moratoreea) a respite or suspension
of activity or a formally authorized
postponement in the fulfillment of
an obligation or repayment of a debt:
"The government has placed a moratorium
on further research until the possible risks
involved have been evaluated."

morceau (morso) FRENCH [from
morsel morsel, ultimately from
Latin mordere to bite] noun (plural
morceaux, morso, morsoz) a brief
literary or musical work: "There were
several side-dishes on the table, containing
what appeared to be the ordinary French
rabbit -a very delicious morceau, which I
can recommend" (Edgar Allan Poe, "The
System of Dr. Tarr and Prof. Fether,"
1845).

mordant (mordant) FRENCH [biting,
present participle of mordre to bite, ultimately from Latin mordere to bite]
adjective biting, caustic, cutting, incisive, acute, pungent, sarcastic: "As a
reviewer she was renowned for her mordant critiques of contemporary fashion
and design."

mores (morayz, moeez) LATIN [plural
of mos custom] plural noun habits,
manners, morals, and attitudes (often
in relation to a particular society or
group): "The mores of teenagers today
are all too often the subject of concern to
their elders."

morgue (morg) FRENCH [mortuary,
after the Parisian mortuary called La
Morgue] noun a place where dead
bodies are kept before burial or disposal: "The family was shocked to hear
that the old man's body had mysteriously
vanished from the morgue." By extension, any place where there is nothing
going on; can also refer to a store
of clippings, photographs, or other
archive material in a newspaper office,
movie studio, etc.

morituri to salutant (moritooree tay
salootont), morituri to salutamus
(moritooree tay salootahmas) LATIN
[we who are about to die salute you]
interjection the traditional salute
of Roman gladiators to the Roman
emperor before fighting in the arena
(often quoted by people facing a daunting challenge of some kind): "Often far
away there I thought of these two, guarding
the door of Darkness, knitting black wool as for a warm pall, one introducing, introducing continuously to the unknown, the other
scrutinizing the cheery and foolish faces
with unconcerned old eyes. Ave! Old knitter
of black wool.Morituri to salutant" (Joseph
Conrad, Heart of Darkness, 1902).

moron (moron) GREEK [neuter of
moros foolish, stupid] noun a stupid,
foolish, or mentally retarded person:
`Most people agree that young men who
indulge in such mindless vandalism are
morons and barbarians."

mortadella (mortadela) ITALIAN [from
Latin farcimen murtatum sausage flavored with myrtleberries] noun a
type of Italian pork sausage containing small cubes of fat, and flavored
with myrtleberries and spices, usually
served in slices.

mot (m6) FRENCH [word, saying]
noun a quip or a pithy or witty saying: "The evening produced several memorable mots, which were duly jotted down for the
benefit of posterity." See also BON MOT.

motif (moteef) FRENCH [motive] noun
a central or recurring theme in a
musical composition, literary work,
or speech: "The design of the fabric
was based around the central motif of a
fire-breathing dragon with red and gold
scales."

mot juste (mo ioost) FRENCH [right
word] noun phrase (plural mots justes,
moioost) an appropriate choice of word or phrase: "He paused briefly in his
talk, trying to find the mot juste to express
what he was attempting to explain."

motu proprio (motoo ropreeo)
LATIN [by one's own motion] adverb
phrase of one's own accord, of one's
own volition: "What the Council had
done was merely to assent to a definition
of the dogma of the Infallibility of the
Roman Pont which Pius IX had had
issued, proprio motu, a few days before"
(Lytton Strachey, Eminent Victorians,
1918). -noun phrase a papal edict
addressed by the pope to the Roman
Catholic Church or a part of it.

moue (moo) FRENCH [pout] noun a
grimace or pout: "She made a moue of
grave disappointment."

moules marinieres (muul marint) FRENCH [sailor's mussels] plural
noun mussels cooked and served in
their shells in a sauce made of butter,
dry white wine, and onions, traditionally eaten in France and Belgium
with a side of French fries.

moussaka (moosakah, moosaka),
mousaka GREEK [from mousakas, itself
from Arabic musakha] noun (in Middle Eastern cuisine) a dish of ground
meat and sliced eggplant in a seasoned
cheese sauce.

mousse (moos) FRENCH [froth, moss]
noun a chilled light dessert dish

made with whipped flavored milk
or cream, gelatin, and egg whites;
also a preparation for styling the
hair.

moustache See MUSTACHE.

mozzarella (mots2rel5) ITALIAN [from
mozzare to cut off] noun a mild white
Italian curd cheese with a rubbery
consistency, originally made from
water-buffalo milk, but now most
often made from cow's milk: "Mozzarella is the cheese most often used to
make pizza."

muchacho (moochahcho) SPANISH
[probably from mocho cropped, shorn]
noun a boy or young man (often
addressed to male servants). -noun,
feminine muchacha (moochahcha) a
girl, young woman, or young female
servant.

mucus (ffi khs) LATIN [nasal secretions, related to Greek mussesthai to
blow the nose, from mukter nose]
noun the slimy lubricating and protective secretion of the mucous membranes, which line cavities or passages
in the body: "Increased mucus in the
nasal passages is a symptom of the common cold."

muesli (m)Loozlee) GERMAN [diminutive of German Mus soft food, mush]
noun a breakfast cereal of Swiss
origin, incorporating nuts, rolled
oats, and fruit.

muezzin (mooezan, m),ooezan,
mwezan) ARABIC [from muaddin
proclaimer, from addana to call to
prayer] noun a Muslim public crier
who summons the faithful to prayer
five times a day from the minaret of
a mosque: "There still high elevated
above the rest of the company, to whom he
vivaciously cries he seems some Turkish
Muezzin calling the good people to prayers
from the top of a tower." (Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, 1851).

mufti (muftee) ARABIC [possibly
from mufti interpreter of Islamic law]
noun ordinary civilian dress (as
opposed to military uniform, clerical
dress, or other official garb).

mujahideen (moojahideen), mujahedin, mujahedeen ARABIC [plural of
mujahid person who wages holy war]
plural noun guerrilla fighters dedicated to the cause of Islam.