Inherited from Middle English molle, mulle (“dust, rubbish”), possibly from Old English myl (“dust, mould”), from Proto-West Germanic *muli, a deverbal formation from *mulljan and thus cognate with Dutch mul (“dust, mould”), German Müll (“rubbish”), Swedish moln (“cloud”) and related to English mill (“to grind”). Alternatively, from Middle French mol or its etymon Latin mollis (“soft”).
Some verbal senses are supplied by Middle English mollen (“to soften, dissolve”), from Old French moillier, from Latin *molliāre (“to steep”), itself from mollis; compare moil.
Meanings
(uncountable) Marijuana that has been chopped to prepare it for smoking.
(countable, uncountable) A stew of meat, broth, milk, butter, vegetables, and seasonings, thickened with soda crackers.
(countable, uncountable) The gauze used in bookbinding to adhere a text block to a book's cover.
(countable, uncountable) An inferior kind of madder prepared from the smaller roots or the peelings and refuse of the larger.
(archaic, countable, slang, uncountable) A mess of something; a mistake.
2014, Andrea Pickens, A Stroke of Luck
After studying the page a bit longer, she made a face. "Good Lord, you've really made a mull of it. Here, let me have a closer look."
Mr. HERDMAN. — The honourable member for Nelson says they made a mull of it. If the honourable gentleman had been a financial authority he would never have given expression to such a thought. 1904, Parliamentary Debates, New Zealand. Parliament. House of Representatives, page 83:
(Northern-England, countable, dialectal, uncountable) Dirt, dust, or other waste matter.
Inherited from Middle English molle, mulle (“dust, rubbish”), possibly from Old English myl (“dust, mould”), from Proto-West Germanic *muli, a deverbal formation from *mulljan and thus cognate with Dutch mul (“dust, mould”), German Müll (“rubbish”), Swedish moln (“cloud”) and related to English mill (“to grind”). Alternatively, from Middle French mol or its etymon Latin mollis (“soft”).
Some verbal senses are supplied by Middle English mollen (“to soften, dissolve”), from Old French moillier, from Latin *molliāre (“to steep”), itself from mollis; compare moil.
Meanings
(usually, with over) To work (over) mentally; to cogitate; to ruminate.
to mull a thought or a problem
It was the germ of a thought, which, however, was destined to mull around in his conscious and subconscious mind until it resulted in magnificent achievement. 1912 October, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Tarzan of the Apes”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., →OCLC; republished as chapter 5, in Tarzan of the Apes, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, June 1914, →OCLC:
he paused to mull over his various options before making a decision
But here’s a thought I had as you were speaking just now, and I’m mulling it over. 2010, Plato, “Euthyphro”, in Christopher Rowe, transl., The Last Days of Socrates, Penguin Books Ltd., →ISBN, line 9c:
When Morrison mulls the pluses and minuses associated with rebuking Kelly for undermining the government’s public health messaging, the prime minister faces a genuine substantive dilemma, and that goes to the risks of amplification. 2021 February 2, Katharine Murphy, “Scott Morrison must heed the lesson of Donald Trump and slap down Craig Kelly”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 27 Apr 2021:
To powder; to pulverize.
To chop marijuana so that it becomes a smokable form.
To heat and spice something, such as wine.
To join two or more individual windows at mullions.
To dull or stupefy.
(archaic, slang) To bungle or botch.
'That's rather like another plant where a string of pearls was changed some years ago,' volunteered Greatorex, laying aside the paper in favour of his own reminiscences. […]
'Yes; they mulled that by not copying the sale label closely enough, and the attendant noticed it when the necklace was laid down again. […]' 1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados Mysteries:
cs zvažovat (to work over mentally) · ca encalentir (to heat and spice something, such as wine) · es dar vueltas (a) (to work over mentally) · es discursar (sobre) (to work over mentally) · cs dumat (to work over mentally) · fr ruminer (to work over mentally) · ca picar (to chop marijuana so that it becomes a smokable form) · pt cogitar (to work over mentally) · cs svařit (to heat and spice something, such as wine) · da overveje (to work over mentally) · es cavilar (to work over mentally) · da temperere (to heat and spice something, such as wine) · ca sopesar (to work over mentally) · ca rumiar (to work over mentally) · es barajar (to work over mentally) · fi pohdiskella (to work over mentally) · id mempertimbangkan (to work over mentally) · fi pohtia (to work over mentally) · fr considérer (to work over mentally) · cs rozvažovat (to work over mentally) · de grübeln (to work over mentally) · ru обду́мывать (to work over mentally) · da gennemtænke (to work over mentally) · cs přemítat (to work over mentally) · pt ponderar (to work over mentally) · nl overdenken (to work over mentally) · ca espiciar (to heat and spice something, such as wine) · bg обмислям (to work over mentally) · nl overwegen (to work over mentally) · fr gamberger (to work over mentally) · hu latolgat (to work over mentally) · id memikirkan (to work over mentally) · ru размышля́ть (to work over mentally) · de erwägen (to work over mentally) · fi miettiä (to work over mentally) · qu yarpay (to work over mentally) · fi maustaa ja lämmittää (to heat and spice something, such as wine) · hu töpreng (to work over mentally) · fr réfléchir (to work over mentally)
The merchandise in this case consists of Madras mulls — thin cotton cloth. 1891, United States. Department of the Treasury, Synopsis of the Decisions of the Treasury Department on the Construction of the Tariff, Navigation, and Other Laws for the Year Ended ..., page 631:
Smocking done in colors on fine white batiste, silk mull, or nainsook makes pretty guimpes and dresses for children and very smart blouses for women. 1916, “Smocking”, in The Dressmaker: A Complete Book on All Matters Connected with Sewing and Dressmaking […], 2nd revised and enlarged edition, New York, N.Y.; London: The Butterick Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 29:
Charles Dickens quoted in 1872, John Forster, The Life of Charles Dickens
Much in this manner they exhibit at the door of a snuff-shop the effigy of a Highlander with an empty mull in his hand, who, apparently having taken all the snuff he can carry, and discharged all the sneezes of which he is capable, politely invites his friends and patrons to step in and try what they can do in the same line.
(countable, uncountable) Friable forest humus that forms a layer of mixed organic matter and mineral soil and merges gradually into the mineral soil beneath.