moll

See also: Moll, møll, and móll

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɒl/

  • Audio (Southern England):

    (file)

• Rhymes: -ɒl
• Homophones: mall, maul (some accents)
• Homophone: mole (some accents)

Etymology 1

From Moll, an archaic nickname for Mary (see also Molly).

Alternative forms

• mole (Australian, girlfriend of surfie or bikie)

Pronunciation

• Audio (Australia):

  (file)

Noun

moll (plural molls)

1. A female companion of a gangster or other criminal, especially a former or current prostitute.
   • 1920, Mary Roberts Rinehart, Avery Hopwood, chapter I, in The Bat: A Novel from the Play (Dell Book; 241), New York, N.Y.: Dell Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 01:

     The Bat—they called him the Bat. […]. He […] played a lone hand, […]. Most lone wolves had a moll at any rate—women were their ruin—but if the Bat had a moll, not even the grapevine telegraph could locate her.

   • 1951, John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, published 1954, page 72:

     "Makes me feel like a pirate," said Josella as she buckled hers on. "Better, I imagine, to be a pirate than a pirate's moll," I told her.

   • 2014 July 31, Frank Rich, “A Distant Mirror”, in The New York Times Book Review‎^[1], New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 30 September 2025:

     The nostalgic canonization of the Kennedy presidency, the perfect antidote to the Nixon stench, was befouled by the revelation of Jack Kennedy’s mob-moll paramour.

2. A prostitute or woman with loose sexual morals.
3. (Australia, New Zealand, slang, derogatory) Bitch, slut; an insulting epithet applied to a female.
4. (Australia, New Zealand, slang) A girlfriend of a bikie.
   • 1979, Eric Reade, History and Heartburn: The Saga of Australian Film, 1896-1978, page 209:

     The bikies ‘molls’ included Susan Lloyd as Tart; Victoria Anoux as Flossie; and Rosalind Talamini as Sunshine.

   • 1995, Debra Adelaide, The Hotel Albatross, page 76:

     ‘Oh God!’ groans Julie who once was a bikie moll back in the early seventies. ‘Hope it′s no one I know.’ But the Machismos turn out to be based on a New Zealand gang, which assembled in Australia after her time.

   • 2009, Albert Moran, Errol Vieth, The A to Z of Australian and New Zealand Cinema, page 142:

     Gilling first appeared as the biker′s moll Vanessa in Stone (1974) and the beautiful, evil cabin attendant in Number 96 (1974).

5. (Australia, New Zealand, slang) A girlfriend of a surfie; blends with pejorative sense.
6. (slang) A female fan of extreme metal, grunge or hardcore punk, especially the girlfriend of a musician of those aforementioned genres.

Usage notes

(girlfriend of a surfie or bikie): Because Australian pronunciation merges the /ɒ/ and /əʊ/ phonemes before /l/ (both become [oʊl]), this word is very commonly spelt mole in Australia, probably by contamination with mole (“sneaky person”). Indeed, the Australian Oxford dictionary does not list the Australian meaning of the term under the headword moll, but only under mole, although it does recognise that mole in this sense is “probably” a mere “variant of moll”.

Synonyms

• (surfie's girlfriend): chick
• (woman of low morals): molly

Derived terms

• moll buzzer
• wapping moll

Etymology 2

From German Moll, from Latin mollis (“soft, tender, elegiac”). Compare molle (“flat (in music)”).

Cognate with Norwegian Bokmål moll.

Adjective

moll (not comparable)

1. (music, obsolete) minor; in the minor key.

   Bach's Gavotte in B Moll

Translations

minor — see minor

Anagrams

• LOML

Catalan

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Northern) [ˈmo̞ʎ]
• IPA^(key): (Balearic, Central, Valencia, Northwestern) [ˈmɔʎ]

• Audio (Catalonia):

  (file)

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old Catalan moyll, from Latin mollem, from earlier *molduis, from Proto-Indo-European *ml̥dus (“soft, weak”), from *(s)meld- (“soft, weak, tender”). Compare Occitan mòl, French mou, Spanish muelle.

Adjective

moll (feminine molla, masculine plural molls, feminine plural molles)

1. moist, wet
2. weak

Derived terms

• aiguamoll
• bocamoll
• mollera
• remollir

Related terms

• mullar

Etymology 2

Inherited from Old Catalan moyl, from Vulgar Latin *medullum, analogically derived from Latin medulla, and probably influenced by Etymology 1. Compare Occitan mesolh, Spanish meollo, Portuguese miolo. Doublet of molla and medul·la, which were, respectively, inherited and borrowed from Latin.

Noun

moll m (uncountable)

1. marrow, as in bone marrow
2. the soft part of a fruit

Etymology 3

Inherited from Latin mullus (“red mullet”).

Noun

moll m (plural molls)

1. several species of fish

   moll de fang — Mullus barbatus

   moll de roca — Mullus surmuletus

   moll reial — Apogon imberbis

Etymology 4

Inherited from Latin moles.

Noun

moll m (plural molls)

1. quay, jetty
2. breakwater

Descendants

• → Portuguese: molhe
• → Spanish: muelle

Further reading

• “moll”, in Diccionari de la llengua catalana [Dictionary of the Catalan Language] (in Catalan), second edition, Institute of Catalan Studies [Catalan: Institut d'Estudis Catalans], April 2007
• “moll” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• Alcover, Antoni Maria; Moll, Francesc de Borja (1963), “moll”, in Diccionari català-valencià-balear (in Catalan)

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmol]
• Hyphenation: moll

Noun

moll n (indeclinable)

1. (music) minor

Hungarian

Etymology

Borrowed from German Moll, from Latin mollis (“soft”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmolː]
• Rhymes: -olː
• Hyphenation: moll

Adjective

moll (not comparable)

1. (music) minor

   moll akkord ― minor chord

Declension

Inflection of moll

	singular	plural
nominative	moll	mollok
accusative	mollt mollot	mollokat
dative	mollnak	molloknak
instrumental	mollal	mollokkal
causal-final	mollért	mollokért
translative	mollá	mollokká
terminative	mollig	mollokig
essive-formal	mollként	mollokként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	mollban	mollokban
superessive	mollon	mollokon
adessive	mollnál	molloknál
illative	mollba	mollokba
sublative	mollra	mollokra
allative	mollhoz	mollokhoz
elative	mollból	mollokból
delative	mollról	mollokról
ablative	molltól	molloktól
non-attributive possessive – singular	mollé	molloké
non-attributive possessive – plural	molléi	mollokéi

Noun

moll (plural mollok)

1. (music) minor (scale or key)

   a-moll ― A minor

Declension

Inflection of moll

	singular	plural
nominative	moll	mollok
accusative	mollt mollot	mollokat
dative	mollnak	molloknak
instrumental	mollal	mollokkal
causal-final	mollért	mollokért
translative	mollá	mollokká
terminative	mollig	mollokig
essive-formal	mollként	mollokként
essive-modal	—	—
inessive	mollban	mollokban
superessive	mollon	mollokon
adessive	mollnál	molloknál
illative	mollba	mollokba
sublative	mollra	mollokra
allative	mollhoz	mollokhoz
elative	mollból	mollokból
delative	mollról	mollokról
ablative	molltól	molloktól
non-attributive possessive – singular	mollé	molloké
non-attributive possessive – plural	molléi	mollokéi

Possessive forms of moll

possessor	single possession	multiple possessions
1st person sing.	mollom	molljaim
2nd person sing.	mollod	molljaid
3rd person sing.	mollja	molljai
1st person plural	mollunk	molljaink
2nd person plural	mollotok	molljaitok
3rd person plural	molljuk	molljaik

Derived terms

Compound words

• a-moll
• aisz-moll
• asz-moll
• b-moll
• c-moll
• cisz-moll
• d-moll
• disz-moll
• e-moll
• esz-moll
• f-moll
• fisz-moll
• g-moll
• gisz-moll
• h-moll

Further reading

• moll in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.

Icelandic

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin mollis (“soft, mild”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈmɔl(ː)]

  Rhymes: -ɔlː

Noun

moll m (genitive singular molls, nominative plural mollar)

1. (music) minor (scale or key)

Declension

Declension of moll (masculine)

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative	moll	mollinn	mollar	mollarnir
accusative	moll	mollinn	molla	mollana
dative	moll, molli	mollinum	mollum	mollunum
genitive	molls	mollsins	molla	mollanna

Derived terms

• a-moll
• c-moll
• cís-moll
• d-moll
• e-moll
• f-moll
• fís-moll
• g-moll
• h-moll

See also

• dúr

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish mul m (“a globular mass, heap, lump”).

Pronunciation

• (Ulster) IPA^(key): /mˠɞl̪ˠ/
• Homophone: mol (some accents)

Noun

moll m (genitive singular moill, nominative plural mollta)

1. heap; large amount, large number

Declension

Declension of moll (first declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative moll mollta vocative a mhoill a mhollta genitive moill mollta dative moll mollta forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an moll na mollta genitive an mhoill na mollta dative leis an moll don mholl leis na mollta

• Alternative plurals: molltra, molltracha

Derived terms

• moll bréag (“pack of lies”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of moll

radical	lenition	eclipsis
moll	mholl	not applicable

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Dinneen, Patrick S. (1927), “mol”, in Foclóir Gaeḋilge agus Béarla [Irish and English Dictionary], 2nd edition, Dublin: Irish Texts Society, page 758; reprinted with additions 1996, →ISBN
• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “moll”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla [Irish–English Dictionary], Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “moil”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language
• Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “mul”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Manx

Etymology 1

From Middle Irish mellaid (“to deceive, beguile, seduce”), a denominative verb from Old Irish meld (“pleasant, delightful”). Cognate with Irish meall and Scottish Gaelic meall.

Verb

moll (past independent voll, future independent mollee, verbal noun molley, past participle mollit)

1. to fool, baffle, foil, beguile, cajole, captivate, deceive, bluff, trick

   Mollee y molteyr oo my oddys eh. ― The deceiver will deceive you if he can.

2. to disappoint

   V'eh mollit nagh daink ee. ― He was disappointed that she did not come.

3. to impose
4. to be mistaken

   Ayns shen t'ou mollit. ― That is where you are mistaken.

Derived terms

• molteyr (“deceiver, charlatan, duper, fraud, cheat, con man, impostor”)

Etymology 2

From Old Irish mul m (“a globular mass, heap, lump”).

Noun

moll m (genitive singular moll)

1. mass, pile, heap, pack
2. cluster, gathering, collection, huddle
3. nave

Mutation

Mutation of moll

radical	lenition	eclipsis
moll	voll	unchanged

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Manx.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Middle English

Noun

moll

1. alternative form of molle (“rubbish”)

Norwegian Bokmål

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɔl/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔl
• Hyphenation: moll
• Homophone: mold

Etymology 1

From German Moll (“minor”), from Medieval Latin molle, of Latin mollis (“soft”), from earlier *molduis, from Proto-Italic *moldus, from Proto-Indo-European *ml̥dus (“soft, weak”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)meld- (“soft, weak, tender”).

Cognate with English moll, Icelandic moll, Czech moll, Hungarian moll and Swedish moll.

Noun

moll m (definite singular mollen, indefinite plural moller, definite plural mollene)

1. (music) a minor scale (having intervals of a semitone between the second and third degrees, and (usually) the fifth and sixth, and the seventh and eighth)

   Antonym: dur

   ren moll ― Aeolian mode

   • 1907, Alexander Kielland, Samlede værker I (Mindeutgave), page 6:

     han vidste, at Hans blot kunde tre akkompagnementer; et i moll og to i dur

     he knew that Hans could only do three accompaniments; one in minor and two in major

   • 2012, Eivind Buene, Allsang:

     musikken skifter fra moll til dur, og trombonene kommer inn over de lange, blanke strykeakkordene

     the music changes from minor to major, and the trombones come in over the long, shiny string chords

2. (figuratively) a minor (timbre, that in classical and romantic music, can evoke or express melancholy)

   Antonym: dur

   • 1852, Henrik Wergeland, Samlede Skrifter I, page 349:

     [løven] i moll maa klynke, som brølte før i dur

     [the lion] in minor must whine, which roared before in major

   • 1926, Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson, Samlede Digte I, page 169:

     gaa til moll fra dur

     go to minor from major

   • 1949, Johan Borgen, Jenny og påfuglen, page 108:

     kollisjoner mellom duren fra de inntrengende og stuens moll

     collisions between the drone from the intruders and the living room minor

Etymology 2

From English mull, from Hindi.

Noun

moll m or n (definite singular mollen or mollet, indefinite plural moller or moll, definite plural mollene or molla)

1. (textiles) mull (a thin, soft muslin)

   Coordinate term: linon

References

• “moll” in The Bokmål Dictionary.
• “moll_1” in Norwegian Academy Dictionary (NAOB).
• “moll_2” in Norwegian Academy Dictionary (NAOB).
• “moll” in Store norske leksikon
• “moll (tekstil)” in Store norske leksikon

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology

From German Moll, from Latin mollis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɔlː/

Noun

moll m (definite singular mollen, uncountable)

1. (music) minor (scale or key)

Antonyms

• dur

References

• “moll” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Polish

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *(s)meld-

Proto-Indo-European *ml̥dus

Proto-Italic *moldus

Latin *molvis ‹ *mollvis ‹ *molduis

Latin mollisbor.

German Mollbor.

Polish moll

Borrowed from German Moll.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈmɔl/
• Rhymes: -ɔl
• Syllabification: moll
• Homophone: mol

Noun

moll m inan (indeclinable, related adjective molowy or mollowy)

1. (music) minor (scale)

   Synonym: minor

   Antonyms: major, dur

Adjective

moll (not comparable, indeclinable, no derived adverb)

1. (music) minor (scale)

   Synonyms: molowy, minor, minorowy

   Antonyms: major, majorowy, dur, durowy

Further reading

• Modern Standard Polish:
  • “moll I (rzeczownik)”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[2] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • “moll II (przymiotnik)”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[3] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
  • “moll”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[4] (in Polish)
  • Zygmunt Saloni, et al., editors (2020), “moll”, in Słownik gramatyczny języka polskiego [Grammatical Dictionary of Polish]‎^[5], 4. online edition, Warszawa
• Historic dictionaries:
  • J. Karłowicz, A. Kryński, W. Niedźwiedzki, editors (1902), “moll”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), volume 2, Warsaw, page 1033
  • Witold Doroszewski, editor (1958–1969), “moll”, in Słownik języka polskiego (in Polish), Warszawa: PWN

Swedish

Pronunciation

• Audio:

  (file)

• IPA^(key): /mɔl/, [mɔlː]

Noun

moll (indeclinable)

1. (music) minor scale

Derived terms

• a-moll

References

• “moll”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)

Welsh

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /mɔɬ/

Adjective

moll f

1. feminine singular of mwll

Mutation

Mutated forms of moll

radical	soft	nasal	aspirate
moll	foll	unchanged	unchanged

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Welsh.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.