plural mice
ˈmīs 
1
: any of numerous small rodents (as of the genus Mus) with pointed snout, rather small ears, elongated body, and slender tail
2
plural also mouses
: a small mobile manual device that controls movement of the cursor and selection of functions on a computer display
3
: a timid person
4
: a dark-colored swelling caused by a blow
specifically
: black eye
moused; mousing
1
: to search for carefully
—usually used with out
Phrases
mouse over
computing
: to use a mouse to position a cursor over (a specific location or element on a computer screen) without clicking the mouse's button
Rich media is pretty much anything that moves when you interact with it. It can be a Flash animation, or a streaming video clip, or an image rotator that changes when you mouse over it.—
Ariel Bleicher
Ariel BleicherExamples of mouse in a Sentence
Noun
The house was infested with mice and rats.
He moved the mouse to click on the icon.
Verb
a cat mousing along in the shadows of the garden
Recent Examples on the Web
Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Researchers from National Taiwan University have developed a serum that caused hair regrowth in mice in just 20 days, raising questions about what the finding means for the treatment of human baldness.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 18 June 2025
Transitioning to mouse mode by simply placing the controller on a table made a potentially confusing input so much more intuitive.
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mouse
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Noun
Prisoners have reported mice infestations and a lack of access to natural daylight and showers.
—Laura Schulte, jsonline.com, 27 Oct. 2025
Researchers from National Taiwan University have developed a serum that caused hair regrowth in mice in just 20 days, raising questions about what the finding means for the treatment of human baldness.
—Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Verb
Keeping the keyboard and mouse close to avoid overreaching.
Taking a brief movement or stretching break every 30 to 60 minutes.
—Mira Miller, Verywell Health, 18 June 2025
Transitioning to mouse mode by simply placing the controller on a table made a potentially confusing input so much more intuitive.
—Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for mouse
Cite this Entry
“Mouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mouse. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
mouse
1 of 2 noun
plural mice
ˈmīs
1
: any of numerous small rodents with pointed snout, rather small ears, and a slender usually nearly hairless tail
2
: a person without spirit or courage
3
: a small hand-operated device used for computer input (as to control cursor movement on the display screen)
mouse
2 of 2 verb
moused; mousing
1
: to hunt mice
2
: to search or move slyly and carefully (as a cat hunting mice)
3
: to search for carefully
mouse out a scandal
Medical Definition
mouse
noun
plural mice
ˈmīs
1
: any of numerous small rodents with pointed snout, rather small ears, elongated body, and slender hairless or sparsely haired tail, including all the smaller members of the genus Mus (as the medically significant house mouse, M. musculus) and many members of other rodent genera and families having little more in common than their relatively small size
2
: a dark-colored swelling caused by a blow
specifically
: black eye
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