muck

muck · noun, verb¹

1. Proto-Indo-European · derived from*(s)mewg-
2. Proto-Germanic · derived from*muk-
3. Proto-Germanic · inherited from*mukį̄“dung; manure”
4. Old Norse · derived frommyki
5. Middle English · inherited frommok
6. English todaymuck

From Middle English mok, muk, from Old Norse myki, mykr (“dung”) or less likely Old English *moc, *moce (in hlōsmoc (“pigsty dung”) and lustmoce (“lady's smock (Cardamine pratensis)”)) (compare Icelandic mykja and Danish møg ("dung")), from Proto-Germanic *mukį̄ (“dung; manure”), from Proto-Germanic *muk-, from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mewg-, *mewk- (“slick, slippery”) (compare Welsh mign (“swamp”), Latin mūcus (“snot”), mucere (“to be moldy or musty”), Latvian mukls (“swampy”), Albanian myk (“mould”), Ancient Greek μύξα (múxa, “mucus, lamp wick”), Ancient Greek μύκης (múkēs, “mushroom”), German Mauke (“mud fever”)), from *(s)mewg, mewk 'to slip'. More at meek.

Muck · proper noun²

From the German surname, from Mücke (“mosquito”).

Muck · proper noun³

1. Scottish Gaelic · derived frommuc“pig”
2. English todayMuck

From Scottish Gaelic muc (“pig”), recorded 1370 as Helantmok (Isle of pigs).

MUCK · noun⁴

From muck, as a play on mud (“a mucky substance”) and MUD (“multi-user dungeon”). Various backronyms have been invented but are not the true origin.

Words from the same roots