mop1 nounmop2 verb
mopmop1 /mɒp $ mɑːp/ noun [countable] 
1a thing used for washing floors, consisting of a long stick with threads of thick string or a piece of sponge fastened to one end: 
a mop and bucket2a thing used for cleaning dishes, consisting of a short stick with a piece of sponge fastened to one end3[usually singular] informal a large amount of thick, often untidy hairmop of He ran a hand through his mop of fair hair.mop1 nounmop2 verb
mopmop2 verb (past tense and past participle mopped, present participle mopping) VERB TABLE
mop
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | mop |
| he, she, it | mops | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | mopped |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have mopped |
| he, she, it | has mopped | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had mopped |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will mop |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have mopped |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am mopping |
| he, she, it | is mopping | |
| you, we, they | are mopping | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was mopping |
| you, we, they | were mopping | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been mopping |
| he, she, it | has been mopping | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been mopping |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be mopping |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been mopping |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- A trainer mopped Norwood's face with a towel.
- Dan has to mop the floor of the café every night.
- I just mopped the kitchen floor.
- A second equally good story describes mopping up an oil spill at sea.
- Barnabas sat down at once and gazed at him, mopping the garage floor with his tail.
- He mopped at his chin, his attention turned inward.
- Run For Free led the charge in the £35,000 stamina test, and the Pipe supporting cast mopped up the minor prizes.
- She sat on the bed, mopping his brow.
- Staff were mopping up today as Mr Alton held his usual surgery.
- The every so often it was mopped, the every so often sprayed.
- Unfortunately, the weapon mopping up after the Cold War is very lethal, costs a few hundred bucks and is everywhere.
THESAURUS
to clean something with soap and water: · Our car needs washing.· Make sure that you wash your hands.
British English, do the laundry American English to wash clothes that need to be washed: · Did you do the laundry this morning?· I do the washing on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
British English (also wash up British English), do the dishes American English to wash all the cups, plates, knives etc that you have used during a meal: · If you do the cooking tonight, I’ll do the washing up.· Who’s going to do the dishes?
formal to make something completely clean, especially using a special substance: · Carefully cleanse the cut to get rid of any grit or dirt.
to wash something with water in order to remove soap or dirt: · I’ll just rinse the lettuce under the tap.
to make something very clean, using a stiff brush and water, or soap and water: · Lou was on her knees, scrubbing the kitchen floor.
to wash a floor with a wet mop (=special stick with thick threads on the end): · A cleaner mopped the floor between the beds.
Longman Language Activatorto wash a car/floor/wall etc to clean something using a lot of water, and usually soap: · I really must wash the car this weekend.· When we moved in, we spent a whole day washing all the floors and paintwork.wash in: · The spinach leaves should be washed in cold water.
to clean something using soap and water, and usually by rubbing with a cloth or brush: · Where's that stuff you use for cleaning the bathtub?· I usually clean the windows about once a month.
to wash a floor using a special tool with a long handle that is dipped in a bucket of water: · Dan has to mop the floor of the café every night.
to make something very clean, using a stiff brush and water, or soap and water: · Martin washed the mud off his hands and scrubbed his nails.· Lou was on her knees, scrubbing the kitchen floor.· Scrub the potatoes, then put them in a pan of boiling water.
to wash something large with a lot of water: wash down something: · Wash down the walls and leave them to dry before putting up new wallpaper.wash something down: · Carol washed the van down and checked the oil and tyres.
to wash the inside of a cup, glass, pan, or container: wash out something: · I'll just go and wash out these glasses.wash something out: · When the bottle is empty, wash it out thoroughly before refilling.
WORD SETSbin, nounbin liner, nounboil, verbborax, nounBrillo pad, nounbroom, nounbroomstick, nouncarpet sweeper, nounchar, verbchar, nouncharlady, nouncharwoman, nounchimney sweep, nouncleaner, nouncleanser, nounclothes basket, nounclothesline, nounclothes peg, nounconditioner, noundeodorize, verbdescale, verbdisinfect, verbdisinfectant, noundry-clean, verbdust, verbduster, noundustpan, nounfabric softener, nounfeather duster, nounflush, verbFrench polish, nounfumigate, verbhamper, nounHoover, nounhoover, verbhygiene, nounhygienic, adjectivekitchen roll, nounlaundry basket, nounlimescale, nounline, nounload, nounmangle, nounmop, nounmop, verbpolish, nounrag, nounrinse, verbrinse, nounsanitary, adjectivesanitation, nounscour, verbscourer, nounscrub, verbscrub, nounscrubbing brush, nounshampoo, nounsoak, verbsoak, nounsoapflakes, nounsoap powder, nounsoapsuds, nounsoapy, adjectivesoda, nounsoftener, nounspin, verbspin-dryer, nounsqueegee, nounstarch, verbsuds, nounswab, verbsweep, verbsweep, nounsweeper, nounsweepings, nounswill, verbswill, nountea cloth, nountea towel, nountide-mark, nounturpentine, nounturps, nounvacuum, nounvacuum, verbvacuum cleaner, nounwash, nounwashable, adjectivewashboard, nounwashcloth, nounwashday, nounwasher, nounwasher-dryer, nounwashing, nounwashing line, nounwashing machine, nounwashing powder, nounwashing soda, nounwashing-up, nounwashing-up liquid, nounwashtub, nounwhisk broom, nounwindow cleaner, nounwipe, verbwire wool, nounwring, verbwringer, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY The doctor mopped his brow (=removed sweat from his forehead) with a handkerchief.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1[intransitive, transitive] to wash a floor with a wet mop: The doctor mopped his brow (=removed sweat from his forehead) with a handkerchief. (=dry your brow with your hand or a cloth because you are hot or nervous)
(=a lot of curls)· a gorgeous Italian man with a mass of dark curls
· The floor needs mopping.
(=a large amount of thick untidy hair)· He had an unruly mop of brown hair.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· A second equally good story describes mopping up an oil spill at sea.· After the worst of it was mopped up, lunch continued.· It went down well, with dry bread to mop up the water.· Unfortunately, the weapon mopping up after the Cold War is very lethal, costs a few hundred bucks and is everywhere.· Staff were mopping up today as Mr Alton held his usual surgery.· A janitor mopped up the gore and it all got thrown away or was buried somewhere.· Anyway, the people who disposed of her body mopped up some blood, and squeezed it out on to the garments.· Fire crews were mopping up early Tuesday.
NOUN· She sat on the bed, mopping his brow.· Once Chuck turned and grinned delightedly at her as he paused to mop his brow, and she smiled warmly back.· He sighed and mopped his brow.· She stood up, mopping her brow with the back of a skeleton wrist.· The Archdeacon, to Theodora's amusement, mopped his brow.· The Prince mopped his brow, his hands sweaty inside his gloves, as he faced the bowling for the new over.· Damien mopped his brow, but decided not to remove his jacket, as he was wearing braces.
· In the hall Kruger took out his handkerchief and mopped his perspiring face.· He mopped his face with it.· Georgiades came back mopping his face.· The rector turned and looked out the window behind his desk, and mopped his rain-soaked face and hands with a handkerchief.· I smiled, mopped my face, and sat on a rock to toast myself with two pints of chlorinated water.· Roy stops mopping her face with a towel and looks up at Jody.
· Matthew made them mop the floor and Rory hadn't minded.· She came home from work in the hospital pharmacy to find him doing the laundry or mopping the floor.· One was mopping the floor, another dispensing pills.· Barnabas sat down at once and gazed at him, mopping the garage floor with his tail.
She carried on mopping the floor.2[transitive] to dry your face by rubbing it with a cloth or something soft SYN wipe: It was so hot he had to keep stopping to mop his face. The doctor mopped his brow (=removed sweat from his forehead) with a handkerchief.3[transitive] to remove liquid from a surface by rubbing it with a cloth or something softmop something from something She gently mopped the blood from the wound. He mopped the sweat from his face.mop something away She mopped the tears away with a lacy handkerchief.4mop the floor with somebody American English to completely defeat someone, for example in a game or argument SYN wipe the floor with somebody British English: We mopped the floor with the team from Pomona High.mop something/somebody ↔ up phrasal verb1to remove liquid with a mop, a cloth, or something soft, especially in order to clean a surface SYN wipe up: Mop the sauce up with your bread. He mopped up the spilt milk.2to remove or deal with something which you think is undesirable or dangerous, so that it is no longer a problem: The usual solution is to send in infantry to mop up any remaining opposition. The rebellion has been crushed, but mopping-up operations may take several weeks.