Mops

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A cleaning tool made of absorbent material attached to a handle used for wiping floors or surfaces ; the act of using a mop or similar tool to wipe or soak up spills or dirt from a surface
2. An implement for wet or dry cleaning of floors or other areas that consists of a bundle of thick yarn or cloth fixed to a handle ; the process of removing dirt or liquid using such an instrument
3. A device typically composed of strands of cloth or sponge mounted on a stick used for cleaning ; the action of wiping or mopping a surface to remove mess or moisture

Etymology: The mop on your kitchen floor shares its name with a small, wrinkled dog. English borrowed "mops" from German "Mops," which means "pug," and German took the word from Dutch "mops," with the same sense. The animal's name came first, and the cleaning tool took the word later, so the two were not connected by any original idea of wiping floors. Only the plural-looking form "mops" is treated as the noun and verb here, and the verb simply grew out of the noun: to mop is to use a mop. The shift from a pug to a bundle of yarn or cloth on a stick is one of those leaps that dictionaries record without explaining, so the story stops at the borrowing itself.

Synonyms: cleaners, swabs, wipes, cloths, rags