name
Meaning 1
The ancient Canaanite god of death and the underworld.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
mot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
-
UK: /ɛm.əʊ.tiː/
-
UK: /məʊ/
-
Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
-
rhymes with -əʊ
-
Received-Pronunciation: /mɒt/
-
Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
-
rhymes with -ɒt
name
Meaning 2
Initialism of Ministry of Transport (a former name of the Department for Transport) still in use relating to the MOT test it made compulsory in 1961, and three grades of aggregate it specified for road, path and sports court subbase layers.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, abbreviation, alt-of, historical, initialism
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
A witty remark; a witticism; a bon mot.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
A word or a motto; a device.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
Examples
- 1597–1598, Joseph Hall, Virgidemiarum With his big title, an Italian mot
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
A note or brief strain on a bugle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
A woman; a wife.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, UK, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 7
A prostitute.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, UK, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 8
A landlady.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, UK, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 9
An MOT test (an annual test of roadworthiness for most UK motor vehicles over three years old, or four years old in Northern Ireland).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, colloquial, countable
Examples
- I can’t drive over this week, the car is in for its MOT.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: vehicle inspection
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 10
Any regular checkup.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, broadly, countable
Examples
- 2026 January 19, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Emma Reynolds MP, Government unveils biggest overhaul to water in a generation (press release) https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-unveils-biggest-overhaul-to-water-in-a-generation The new regulator will introduce an 'MOT' approach for water company infrastructure, requiring health checks on pipes, pumps and more.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 11
An aggregate which meets one of the three Ministry of Transport standards for use in road, path and sports court subbase layers.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, countable, uncountable
Examples
- MOT Type 1 gives the strongest base, MOT Type 3 the best drainage, and MOT Type 2 is intermediate for both
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 12
Initialism of management of technology.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, uncountable
Topics: business
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 13
Initialism of microwave oven transformer.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism
Topics: business, electrical-engineering, electricity, electromagnetism, electronics, energy, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 14
Initialism of member of the tribe (“a Jew”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 15
Initialism of magnetooptical trap.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, countable, initialism
Topics: natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 16
To subject a motor vehicle to an MOT test.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, colloquial
Examples
- I've got to get the car MOTed by Friday.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 17
a compulsory annual test of older motor vehicles for safety and exhaust fumes
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: MOT test, Ministry of Transportation test
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: test, trial, run
noun
Meaning 18
a clever remark
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bon mot
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: wit, humor, humour, witticism, wittiness
History
Etymology
Learned borrowing from Ugaritic 𐎎𐎚 (mōtu).
(roadworthiness test, aggregate grades): See Proper noun.
From French mot. Doublet of motto.
Probably from Dutch mot (“a sow, a lecherous woman”). See also mort (“woman”) and moth (“girlfriend”).
Across languages
Translations
2 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Finnish: teknologiajohtaminen — management of technology
- Japanese: 技術経営 (gijyutsu-keiei) — management of technology