From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmopmop1 /mɒp $ mɑːp/ noun [countable] 1 DHCa thing used for washing floors, consisting of a long stick with threads of thick string or a piece of sponge fastened to one end a mop and bucket2 DFUa thing used for cleaning dishes, consisting of a short stick with a piece of sponge fastened to one end3 [usually singular] informalDCBHBH a large amount of thick, often untidy hairmop of He ran a hand through his mop of fair hair.
Examples from the Corpus
mop• As he left his room, he noticed a mop and bucket sitting in a corner in the hallway.• He was still carrying his mop and broom and wearing his brown overalls.• As Robert watched, Aziz raised his mop and started a kind of semaphore in the direction of the Windmill.• I saw a guy with a head the size of a bucket-the kind you put mops in.• All the spawning mops were removed and I hoped to see a shoal of young Cardinal Tetras.• Daily inspections of the tank will indicate a few fry hanging on the tank sides and others hiding in the mops.mopmop2 verb (mopped, mopping) 1 [intransitive, transitive]DHC to wash a floor with a wet mop She carried on mopping the floor.2 [transitive]DCB to dry your face by rubbing it with a cloth or something soft SYN wipe It was so hot he had to keep stopping to mop his face. The doctor mopped his brow (=removed sweat from his forehead) with a handkerchief.3 [transitive]WASH to remove liquid from a surface by rubbing it with a cloth or something softmop something from something She gently mopped the blood from the wound. He mopped the sweat from his face.mop something away She mopped the tears away with a lacy handkerchief.4 → mop the floor with somebody → mop something/somebody ↔ up→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
mop• He mopped at his chin, his attention turned inward.• She sat on the bed, mopping his brow.• A trainer mopped Norwood's face with a towel.• The every so often it was mopped, the every so often sprayed.• Dan has to mop the floor of the café every night.• Barnabas sat down at once and gazed at him, mopping the garage floor with his tail.• I just mopped the kitchen floor.• Unfortunately, the weapon mopping up after the Cold War is very lethal, costs a few hundred bucks and is everywhere.• A second equally good story describes mopping up an oil spill at sea.• Run For Free led the charge in the £35,000 stamina test, and the Pipe supporting cast mopped up the minor prizes.• Staff were mopping up today as Mr Alton held his usual surgery.Origin mop1 (1400-1500) Perhaps from Latin mappa “cloth (for cleaning)” 