Mop
/mɒp/noun
A tool with a long handle and absorbent head used for cleaning floors or other surfaces.
Did you know?“Mop” originally referred to a bunch of cloth or yarn, and its deeper roots are likely connected to words for a tuft or cluster — the kind of humble, physical image that later became a household verb.
Etymological Timeline
Late Middle English
English
moppe
“a bunch or tuft of cloth, yarn, or rag used for wiping”
Late Middle English
English
moppen
“to dab or wipe with a mop; also to make faces or grimace”
Middle English
English
mop
“a tuft or bundle of cloth or yarn”
Modern English
English
mop
“a cleaning implement with an absorbent head, and the act of cleaning with it”