mota
9.9
A tiny speck of dust or dirt
- noun
- /ˈmoʊtə/
- US
:
mota
- A single mota of dust floated in the beam of sunlight across the floor.
Examples
-
He brushed a mota of flour from his shirt after baking bread.
-
Not even a mota of evidence was found at the crime scene.
-
There was a tiny mota of dust on the table.
-
I noticed a mota floating in the sunlight.
-
A single mota of dust floated in the beam of sunlight across the floor.
-
He brushed a mota of flour from his shirt after baking bread.
-
Not even a mota of evidence was found at the crime scene.
Synonyms
447
4.2
A very small piece or amount of something
is the everyday tiny bit or speck sense rather than technical
speck
vsmota
66
1.3
A very small spot or amount of something
emphasizes dust or a tiny bit rather than a spot
granule
vsmota
5
4.6
A very small piece like a grain, for example of sugar or sand
is smaller and refers to dust or tiny bits rather than grains
4
8.2
A very small speck of dust or dirt
has identical meaning but is an alternate form
How Tiny
Surface Forms
Etymology
Mota means a tiny speck or bit. It comes from an old Spanish word meaning 'speck', the same idea as the English mote, so a mota is used for a very small particle.