mole

USAGE SUMMARY

The word 'mole' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use the word 'mole' to refer to a small mammal, an espionage agent, or a unit of measurement. For example, "The researchers placed a mole in the new habitat to study the burrowing behaviors of the species."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

47 human-written examples

Perhaps they are a new form of direct action, carried out with a needle in the changing rooms – or even by a mole on the inside?

The Guardian - Opinion

They can all start in a flat or lumpy "mole" (the correct name is naevus).

The Guardian - Lifestyle

No one looks at their watch, no one is fretting about their time, no one is rushing to get to the end… At the halfway point the grounds of a local school have been turned into a base camp with neat rows of tents bumping up across the playing fields like the handiwork of some massive mole with OCD.

The Guardian - Travel

My neutral mole, who has been canvassing the Premiership dressing-room mood, is particularly unconvinced by the argument that activating the exceptional-circumstances clause in this instance would seriously undermine the domestic league and lead to a mass exodus of English talent to France.

The Guardian - Sport

It's a bit of a mystery why Guardiola should have taken the stylistic criticism of Franz Beckenbauer so seriously – no one else does in Munich – and complaints about a dressing room mole tipping off Bild made him look thin-skinned, too.

The Guardian - Sport

A prison officer at the top-security Belmarsh prison has been jailed for 20 months after being found guilty of being a paid mole for five years for a reporter working at the Daily Mirror and News of the World.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

13 human-written examples

FSA groups sprout again as soon as the firefighting squads move on to bash the next rebellious town, prolonging a game of whack-a-mole: as one insurgent pocket is squashed, another pops up.

The Economist

LIKE a game of whack-a-mole, when the American-led coalition against Islamic State (IS) strikes the jihadists in one place, they often pop up in another.

The Economist

Fraudsters have also targeted home health care, physical and occupational therapy and, most recently, mental-health services.In this section Disappointed, down, despondent Old King Coal The emperor of earmarks A chop to the heart First find your gander Whack-a-mole New mandate, new maverick ReprintsNew measures will try to stop the haemorrhage of funds.

The Economist

As they switch from one health programme to another, so they stay one step ahead of the law, in what the chief federal prosecutor in Miami, Wifredo Ferrer, has described as a frustrating game of "whack-a-mole".The scale of the region's fraud is mind-boggling, according to a series of reports in the Miami Herald.

The Economist

There is a vague sense of eras ending and beginning.So, in a way, this is the worst of times for MPs to be caught in the sin of horse manure, the sins of mole-clearing and of pool-cleaning.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "mole" in scientific contexts, specify the substance to avoid ambiguity (e.g., "mole of NaCl" rather than just "mole").

Common error

Avoid using "mole" as an abbreviation in scientific writing. Use "mol" instead to represent the unit of measurement.

Linguistic Context

The word "mole" functions primarily as a noun. It can refer to a small burrowing mammal, a pigmented spot on the skin, or a unit of measurement in chemistry. Ludwig confirms these usages with numerous real-world examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

57%

Science

24%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The word "mole" is a versatile term with several distinct meanings, as highlighted by Ludwig. It can denote a burrowing animal, a skin marking, or a unit of measurement in chemistry. According to Ludwig, the usage is grammatically correct and very common, particularly in news and media contexts. When using "mole", ensure clarity by providing sufficient context to differentiate between its various meanings. For scientific contexts, prefer the abbreviation "mol" for the unit of measurement to avoid ambiguity. This review encapsulates the breadth and depth of "mole", reaffirming its multifaceted role in the English language.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

mol

Abbreviation for "mole" as a unit of measurement in chemistry.

nevus

A medical term synonymous with "mole" when referring to a skin lesion.

naevus

Alternative spelling for "nevus", used to describe a pigmented skin spot.

gram molecule

Synonym for "mole" in a chemical context, indicating the molecular weight in grams.

secret agent

Replaces "mole" in the context of espionage, focusing on the covert nature of the individual.

double agent

Similar to "mole" but emphasizes the duplicity of the agent working for two opposing sides.

counterspy

Alternative to "mole", specifically referring to a spy working against enemy intelligence.

infiltrator

Describes someone who secretly joins an organization to gather or leak information.

birthmark

Substitutes "mole" in the context of a skin blemish, indicating a mark present from birth.

traitor

Highlights the act of betrayal associated with a mole's actions, focusing on disloyalty.

FAQs

How to use "mole" in a sentence?

You can use "mole" to refer to a spy within an organization, as in "There was a "mole" in the agency leaking information". It can also refer to a skin mark: "She had a small "mole" on her cheek", or a unit of measurement: "We need one "mol" of the substance".

What can I say instead of "mole" (spy)?

Alternatives include "secret agent", "infiltrator", or "double agent", depending on the specific context of the espionage activity.

Which is correct, "mole" or "mol"?

"Mole" and "mol" are both correct but have different meanings. "Mole" typically refers to a spy or a skin mark, while "mol" is the abbreviation for the unit of measurement in chemistry.

What's the difference between a "mole" and a "nevus"?

"Mole" is the common term for a pigmented spot on the skin, while "nevus" is the medical term for the same thing. They are interchangeable in most contexts.