Moon
/muːn/
Definitions
4 meaningsA celestial body that orbits a planet.
/muːn/
The natural satellite that orbits the Earth.
The moon is visible in the night sky.
💡 Simply: The moon is like Earth's best friend in space! It goes around and around us. Imagine a giant, glowing ball in the sky every night. That's the moon! Like, 'I see the moon!'
👶 For kids: The Moon is a big ball of rock that goes around the Earth at night.
More Examples
Astronauts have walked on the moon.
The tides are influenced by the moon's gravity.
How It's Used
"The full moon appeared bright and round in the night sky."
"We watched the moon rise over the ocean."
A natural satellite orbiting any planet.
/muːn/
A natural satellite of any planet.
Ganymede is one of Jupiter's largest moons.
💡 Simply: Just like we have a moon, other planets have moons too! So if you see something going around a planet in a picture, it's that planet's moon!
👶 For kids: Some planets have moons, like Earth does!
More Examples
Scientists are studying the moons of Saturn.
How It's Used
"Jupiter has dozens of moons orbiting it."
To spend time in a lazy, dreamy, or aimless way.
/muːn/
To spend time idly or aimlessly; to act or wander around.
He was mooning about the garden, lost in thought.
💡 Simply: To moon around means to just chill and do nothing much. Kind of like you're lost in a daydream! Like, 'I was just mooning around the house when the phone rang.'
👶 For kids: When you moon around, you just wander around and don't do anything important.
More Examples
She mooned over her lost love.
How It's Used
"I spent the afternoon mooning around the house."
To expose one's buttocks, especially as a prank or insult.
/muːn/
To expose one's buttocks, typically in public, as a prank or act of defiance.
The pranksters were caught mooning at the passing cars.
💡 Simply: This means to show your butt to someone, which is usually a joke, and is not polite. Like, 'He got in trouble for mooning at the game!'
👶 For kids: When you moon someone, you show them your bottom. It is not polite to do this.
More Examples
He was arrested for mooning the crowd at the concert.
How It's Used
"The students decided to moon the teacher during the school assembly."
Idioms & expressions
once in a blue moon
very rarely; not often.
"I only go to the cinema once in a blue moon."
to promise someone the moon
To make extravagant and likely unattainable promises.
"The politician promised them the moon during the election."
From Old English *mōna*, from Proto-Germanic *mēnōn* (related to the measurement of time).
The word 'moon' has been used since Old English to refer to Earth's natural satellite. The concept of other celestial bodies being 'moons' for other planets came later.
Memory tip
Think of the big, round, glowing object in the night sky.
Word Origin
"*mēnōn* (the measure, referring to time)"