a small rodent with a pointed nose, large round ears, and a long thin tail
A tiny mouse darted across the kitchen floor and disappeared behind the fridge.
The cat sat patiently, waiting for the mouse to come out of its hole in the wall.
✦ Old English “mūs”, from Proto-Germanic *mūs; related to Sanskrit “mūṣ” meaning “mouse” or “thief”.
a hand-held device used to move the pointer and select items on a computer screen
She clicked the left button on the mouse to open the file.
The wireless mouse stopped working when its battery died.
✦ Adopted in the 1960s because the first pointing device’s cord resembled a tail.
a person who is very quiet, shy, and does not attract attention
Although she is brilliant, Maria is a mouse in meetings and rarely speaks up.
Don’t be a mouse—tell the class about your idea!
✦ Figurative use comparing a timid person to the small, easily frightened animal.
(informal) a dark swelling or bruise around the eye caused by a blow
After slipping on the ice, he turned up at school with a nasty mouse under his left eye.
She covered the mouse with concealer before the family photo.
✦ 19th-century British slang, probably likening the dark puffiness to the color and rounded shape of a mouse.
(computing) to move a cursor or select items on a computer screen using a mouse device
If you mouse to the corner of the screen, a menu will appear.
She moused over the image to reveal the caption.
✦ Derived from the noun sense of the pointing device, first used as a verb in the 1980s.
