Meanings
nounmouse-ear (plural mouse-ears)
plural mouse-ears
- A type of small hawkweed native to Eurasia (mouse-ear hawkweed, Pilosella officinarum), commonly found on dry grasslands.First known use 14th c.
Mouse-ear is a low herb creeping upon the ground by small strings like the Strawberry plant, whereby it shoots forth small roots […]
1653, Nicholas Culpeper, The English Physician Enlarged, Folio Society, published 2007, page 195 - A plant of the genus Cerastium (mouse-eared chickweed).First known use 16th c.
- A forget-me-not (genus Myosotis).First known use 16th c.
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
- Middle Englishmousere
- Englishmouse-ear
From Middle English mousere, musere, equivalent to mouse + ear, in reference to the shape of the leaves.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
mouse-ear. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mouse-ear
MLA
“mouse-ear.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mouse-ear. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “mouse-ear,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/mouse-ear.
Source: mouse-ear on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.