# mousing

Pronunciation: say "MOWS-ing" /ˈmaʊsɪŋ/

## Verb

1. Present participle of mouse. — present participle and gerund of mouse
   - Simple: Present participle of mouse. Use this form for the action of catching mice while it is happening.
   - _The old tabby kept mousing among the hay bales until dawn._
   - _She caught the terrier mousing in the long grass behind the shed._

## Noun

2. The catching of mice or similar prey, typically by springing down onto them from above.
   - Simple: The hunting of mice and other small animals, often by jumping down on them.
   - _Barn cats are valued for their mousing, which keeps grain stores clear of vermin._
   - _The terrier showed a real talent for mousing along the hedgerows._
3. The use of a computer mouse as an input device for pointing, clicking, and navigating on screen.
   - Simple: Using a computer mouse to control a screen or program.
   - _Repetitive mousing over long workdays is a common cause of wrist strain._
   - _The interface was redesigned to reduce mousing by adding keyboard shortcuts._
5. A turn of spun yarn or small line, or a metal clasp, that binds the point and shank of a hook together to stop it from unhooking or straightening out.
   - Simple: A wrap of cord or a metal clasp across a hook's opening, keeping it from slipping off or bending open.
   - _Before lifting the cargo, the bosun checked that every hook had a secure mousing._
   - _A loose mousing let the line work free of the hook during the swell._
6. A ratchet movement in a loom, allowing a part to advance in regular one-way increments without slipping back.
   - Simple: A ratchet part in a loom that moves a piece forward step by step.
   - _The weaver oiled the mousing so it would advance smoothly with each pick._
   - _A worn mousing let the loom slip back between rows._

## Adjective

4. Rudely curious about others' affairs; given to prying and meddling where one has no business.
   - Simple: Always trying to find out other people's private business in a nosy way.
   - _The mousing clerk kept reading other people's letters before passing them along._
   - _Her mousing aunt could not resist poking into every family secret._

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/mousing (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).