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to mouse

to mouse

8.7
To move quietly and carefully so other people do not notice
  • verb
  • /maʊs/
translation icon : escabullirse
  • They don't finger paint; they mouse around, not feeling the texture of real paints, only the temperature and texture of a neutral input device.

Examples

  • Because he was mousing around, asking the same questions I am?

  • He decided to mouse around the attic, looking for hidden treasures.

  • The cat quietly moused through the grass, hoping to catch a mouse.

  • While the kids played outside, Lisa moused through the house, searching for her missing book.

Synonyms

to sneak
vsto mouse
699 2.8

To move or take something quietly so others do not notice

moves furtively in general, not only when taking things
to creep
vsto mouse
155 2.5

To move slowly and quietly with the body low to the ground

moves furtively but usually without staying low to the ground
to prowl
vsto mouse
35 5.3

To move quietly around a place looking for something

moves furtively in general, not specifically while searching or hunting
to slither
vsto mouse
35 4.3

To move smoothly and quietly like a snake along the ground

moves furtively but by small steps rather than a sliding motion
to skulk
vsto mouse
20 7.7

To move or act quietly to avoid being noticed

moves furtively as a general stealthy action, not only to avoid detection
to ghost
vsto mouse
1 6.8

To move quietly and smoothly so people do not notice

moves furtively with small, cautious steps rather than floating motion
to pussyfoot
vsto mouse
  • Informal
8.9

To move quietly and carefully to avoid being noticed

moves furtively more for secrecy and quickness than for hesitation

Antonyms

69 1.8

A steady walk by a group often during a protest or parade

16 2.7

To walk with long confident steps toward a place

Idioms

quiet as a mouse
  • Informal
2 5.8

Very quiet so no one notices you

1 7.6

Having almost no money

timid as a mouse
  • Informal
4.9

Feels very shy and nervous around people

Compounds

4 2.1

A small wild mouse that lives in fields or meadows

3 1.6

An action of pressing and releasing a mouse button once to choose or open something

cat and mouse
  • Baby Talk
2 5.0

A children's game where players hold hands in a circle and try to catch someone inside

A small device you move by hand to control the pointer on a computer screen

2 2.1

A button on a computer mouse you press to select or open items on the screen

1 2.0

A small brownish-grey animal with a pointed nose and long tail that lives in houses near people

1 9.4

A large dark mouse that lives in woods and swamps in the southeastern United States

deer mouse
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A small brown mouse from North America with a white belly and long tail

A business or group that is small and badly run

A small mouse that lives in fields and climbs tall grasses

nude mouse
  • Specialized
1 7.2

A small hairless mouse with a weak immune system used in medical research

1 4.5

A small furry animal with a long tail that lives in woods

9.3

A small burrowing mouse that lives in deserts near cacti

A person who prefers city life and dislikes life in the country

7.0

A small ball of dust, hair, and crumbs that collects under furniture

A small plant with white flowers that grows year after year in cold Arctic and mountain areas

A small gray mouse in North and Central America that lives in grain fields and tall grass

A small plant with white flowers and hairy leaves that grows in Arctic and mountain areas

A small brown mouse that is active at night and lives in woods and gardens in Europe

A small plant with white flowers that grows in grassy meadows

flying mouse
  • Australian
8.6

A small animal like a mouse that glides between trees using skin between its legs

marsupial mouse
  • Australian
9.9

A small Australian mammal with a pouch that looks like a mouse and eats insects

5.8

A small animal like a mouse that lives in grassy fields

A small North American animal with long back legs that jumps in meadows

A small rodent from Mexico with fur lined cheek pouches for carrying food

7.8

An unimportant event that people do not take seriously

A small unimportant task done badly, like filing papers

A ring with a picture of the cartoon mouse Mickey Mouse

A nickname for a law that extends copyright to help large media companies like Disney

mouse deer
  • Specialized
9.4

A very small animal with hooves like a tiny deer that lives in Asian and African forests

8.0

A low plant with tiny soft leaves that look like a mouse's ear

8.7

A small plant with bright blue or white flowers that comes back each year

8.3

A very small gun that people use to kill pests or to carry secretly

mouse hare
  • Specialized
9.7

A small animal with short ears that lives in holes among mountain rocks

2.5

A small pad under a computer mouse that helps it move smoothly

A small home mice build to keep and raise their babies

A low wild plant with tiny white flowers and soft hairy leaves

mouse-ear cress
  • Specialized
8.0

A small plant with tiny white flowers that scientists often use in plant research

A low plant with soft hairy leaves and small yellow flowers like a dandelion

A bat with ears that look like a mouse's

A small plant with white flowers and soft hairy leaves like a mouse ear

mouse-tooth forceps
  • Specialized
7.0

A small surgical tool that has tiny teeth at the tips and holds delicate body tissue

A small mouse from western North America that hunts insects and scorpions and makes loud howls

9.3

A small animal like a mouse with a bushy tail that lives in trees and is active at night

hispid pocket mouse
  • Specialized
9.9

A small mouse with stiff fur and cheek pouches that lives in dry grasslands

A small mouse with long back legs that hops far and lives in woods

kangaroo mouse
  • Specialized
8.3

A small desert mouse with long back legs that jumps like a kangaroo

A small mouse-like animal from North, Central, or South America

9.1

A very small mouse with dark grey-brown fur that lives in Texas and Mexico

A small animal like a mouse with a red back that lives in mountains of Europe, Asia, and North America

5.7

A small wireless tool shaped like a pen that moves the computer pointer for drawing and precise work

9.8

A small mouse-like animal that lives underground and eats plant roots in the eastern United States

A small mouse in central United States grasslands that carries food in cheek pouches

9.3

A small rodent active at night that lives in burrows and carries seeds in cheek pouches

pouched mouse
  • Australian
9.4

A small animal like a mouse that carries its young in a pouch and eats insects

9.9

A large worm with many stiff hairs that lives on the sea floor

A small pale yellow mouse with very soft fur that lives in deserts

9.9

A small woodland mouse from North America with white feet and a white belly

A small North American forest mouse with white feet and belly

How Stealthy

to mouse
8.7
sneak
2 5.6
to creep
155 2.5
to tiptoe
44 3.1

Surface Forms

mouse infinitive
moused past
moused past participle
mousing present participle
mouses third person singular

Etymology

To mouse in the sense of moving stealthily comes from watching a real mouse move quietly and carefully; to mouse past a room is to move very quietly like the animal. That's why this verb means to move in a secret or quiet way.