as in speck
a very small piece
there's not a mote of dirt in that woman's house
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Recent Examples of mote
The dancing of a dust mote in a shaft of sunlight betrays the complex motions of unseen air molecules, and the emission of a photon or radioactive decay of a nucleus is analogous, Einstein figured.
—
George Musser, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2015
T’Challa’s coffin, carried by its team of all-woman warrior pallbearers—including Danai Gurira’s Okoye, showing nothing but betraying every mote of sorrow even so—is eventually relinquished to the sky, where it’s subsumed into a triangular ceremonial object and whisked off, gone forever.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 8 Nov. 2022
And jab your holy finger at my mote?
—Eric Chevlen, National Review, 12 Nov. 2020
Humans sitting on a tiny little mote of a planet in a hostile void worked collaboratively over many years to create incredible instruments capable of gathering photons of light emitted from a nebula 5,500 years ago.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 26 Dec. 2016
See All Example Sentences for mote
George Musser, Scientific American, 1 Sep. 2015
T’Challa’s coffin, carried by its team of all-woman warrior pallbearers—including Danai Gurira’s Okoye, showing nothing but betraying every mote of sorrow even so—is eventually relinquished to the sky, where it’s subsumed into a triangular ceremonial object and whisked off, gone forever.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 8 Nov. 2022
And jab your holy finger at my mote?
—Eric Chevlen, National Review, 12 Nov. 2020
Humans sitting on a tiny little mote of a planet in a hostile void worked collaboratively over many years to create incredible instruments capable of gathering photons of light emitted from a nebula 5,500 years ago.
—Tom Yulsman, Discover Magazine, 26 Dec. 2016
See All Example Sentences for mote
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mote
Noun
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Now the Mediterranean-style digs high above Malibu Canyon have popped up for sale, asking a speck under $13 million.—
Wendy Bowman,
Robb Report,
10 Apr. 2025
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You cant be expected to clean every speck of dust in every nook and cranny.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Apr. 2025
Noun
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These ejections refer to plasma erupting from the sun's surface, which can force particles from the sun and surrounding space to collide with particles in the Earth's atmosphere.—
Tom Brown,
Space.com,
2 Apr. 2025
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This approach resembles an attempt to control every particle of an ecosystem, treating each team member merely as a cog in a complex machine.—
Expert Panel®,
Forbes.com,
2 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Made from 100 percent Donegal merino wool, the Finisterre Farne Women’s Crew Neck Knit Sweater comes in a choice of shades, all with subtle flecks of contrasting color.—
Jessica Macdonald,
Travel + Leisure,
28 Mar. 2025
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Normally, landing a star of Dončić’s caliber at such a young age would take every fleck of gold in the safe.—
C. Clark, M. Vorkunov and F. Katz,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
Noun
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Everybody was a little bit like at the end of summer camp, although a bit too grown up for this to be true.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
7 Apr. 2025
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Yet the other major mystery of the series, surrounding the possible identity of Ruby Sunday’s mother, felt a little bit anticlimactic when she was unveiled, even though the thought process behind that storyline was touching.—
Scott Bryan,
Variety,
7 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Related article Move better and sidestep injury with the side lunge McGregor suggests other small changes, too, including eating vegetables several times a day, basing meals around whole grains and having a handful of nuts each day.—
Julianna Bragg,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2025
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The Monday talks appeared to focus on a maritime ceasefire deal covering the Black Sea — one of the focal points for hostilities during the war, which led to disruption in the shipping of regional agricultural and grain exports that caused turmoil in global supply chains.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mote.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mote. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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