Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

mucus

/ˈmjuːkəs/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.15 in modern English

Syllables: mu-cus
IPA: /ˈmjuːkəs/

9

Scrabble Score

5

Letters

2

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A slippery secretion from the lining of the mucous membranes.

Uncountable

noun

Short for vegetable mucus

Uncountable

Example Sentences

"The mucus in coryza may vary from runny to viscous."

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *(s)mewk-der. Proto-Italic *moukos Latin mūcuslbor. English mucus Learned borrowing from Latin mūcus. Partly displaced Old English slīm, whence modern slime.

Origin

Source language: Old English

Word Breakdown

Root: slīm

Usage

Uncountable

Inflected Forms

muci (plural) mucuses (plural)

Derived Forms

mucal mucoid mucoidal mucousy mucusless mucuslike mucusuria mucusy pupkus

Phrases

mucus fishing syndrome mucus membrane

Frequently Paired Words

mucilaginous mucosa mucositis mucous booger snot phlegm

Synonyms

discharge mucous secretion

Homonyms

mucous

Rhymes With

lucas mucous lukas

Questions

How do you pronounce mucus?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈmjuːkəs/.
What does mucus mean?: A slippery secretion from the lining of the mucous membranes.
Where does mucus come from?: It is traced to Old English.

How to pronounce mucus

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “mucus”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈmjuːkəs/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “mucus”.
Repeat and practice — Say “mucus” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.