moles

IPA/məʊl/
KK[mˈolz]IPA/moʊl/

moles — noun

  • molessingular
  • molesesplural

1. a small furry mammal with very tiny eyes that spends almost its whole life tunne

1.名詞B1
釋義

a small furry mammal with very tiny eyes that spends almost its whole life tunnelling underground and feeds on insects and worms.

例句

A mole dug a long tunnel across the vegetable patch last spring.

collocation: mole + tunnel

Moles are active all year round and rarely come up to the surface.

同義詞
  • shrew

    a shrew is a similar small insect-eating mammal but lives above ground and has a pointed nose; not a burrowing specialist

  • vole

    a vole looks similar but is a rodent that eats plants and sometimes lives in burrows; not closely related to the mole

用法筆記

Frequently used in the idiom 'make a mountain out of a molehill', meaning to treat a small problem as if it were very serious.

常見錯誤

❌A mouse dug a tunnel in my garden.
✅A mole dug a tunnel in my garden.
💡Mice live above ground; moles burrow underground and make surface ridges called molehills.

2. a small, dark or flesh-coloured spot growing on people's skin, usually present f

2.名詞B1
釋義

a small, dark or flesh-coloured spot growing on people's skin, usually present from birth or appearing over time.

例句

The dermatologist checked the mole on Chiara's back and said it was perfectly healthy.

collocation: check a mole

Most moles are harmless, but you should watch for changes in their size or colour.

collocation: watch for changes in a mole

同義詞
  • nevus

    medical term for a mole; rarely used in everyday conversation

  • beauty mark

    a small, dark mole on the face, considered attractive; more a cultural label than a medical one

  • birthmark

    a broader term covering any mark present at birth, including moles; not all moles are birthmarks

用法筆記

A mole is different from a freckle (雀斑): freckles are flat, light-brown patches that appear after sun exposure, while moles are usually darker and may be raised.

常見錯誤

❌I have a freckle on my nose that I want removed.
✅I have a mole on my nose that the doctor checked.
💡A freckle is flat and harmless; a mole is a distinct spot that sometimes needs monitoring.

3. someone employed secretly inside an organisation, government, or military group

3.名詞C1
釋義

someone employed secretly inside an organisation, government, or military group while passing information to its opponents or enemies.

例句

The intelligence agency spent years searching for the mole who was leaking classified documents.

collocation: leak ... as a mole

Noor's latest thriller tells of a mole planted in the secret service during the 1980s.

collocation: plant a mole

同義詞
  • double agent

    a spy who works for two opposing sides at once; overlaps with mole but a mole may work for only one side against the organisation they infiltrate

  • infiltrator

    someone who gains entry to a group to gather information; broader — an infiltrator may not wait years before acting

  • traitor

    someone who betrays their own country or group; a mole is a type of traitor, but the term emphasises insider access over betrayal

用法筆記

Originally a metaphor based on the burrowing animal (sense 1), suggesting someone who operates secretly from within. More specific than a general 'spy' — a mole builds trust over time before beginning espionage.

常見錯誤

❌The spy was caught at the border.
✅The mole was uncovered after years of working inside the agency.
💡A 'spy' can work from outside; a 'mole' operates from inside the target organisation.

4. the standard unit used in chemistry to express how much of a chemical substance

4.名詞C1
釋義

the standard unit used in chemistry to express how much of a chemical substance is present, equal to about 6.022 × 10²³ particles of that substance.

例句

One mole of water contains roughly 6.022 × 10²³ water molecules.

pattern: mole of [substance]

Felipe calculated the number of moles of sodium chloride needed for the laboratory experiment.

collocation: number of moles

同義詞
  • gram-molecule

    an older term for the same concept; largely replaced by 'mole' in modern chemistry

文法句型

mole of [substance]

用法筆記

Always used in scientific or academic contexts. The abbreviation is 'mol'. In Taiwan, '莫耳' is the standard translation (pronounced mò ěr), while '摩爾' is more common in China.

常見錯誤

❌Add two moles of salt to the soup.
✅Add two moles of sodium chloride to the reaction mixture.
💡In everyday cooking 'mole' is never used; it is strictly a scientific unit for precise chemical measurement.

5. a thick, rich sauce used in Mexican cooking, made from chilli peppers, spices, n

5.名詞B2
釋義

a thick, rich sauce used in Mexican cooking, made from chilli peppers, spices, nuts, and often chocolate, usually served with meat.

例句

Kemi ordered chicken enchiladas covered in a dark, savoury mole sauce.

collocation: mole sauce

Traditional mole poblano contains over twenty ingredients, including dried chillies and sesame seeds.

同義詞
  • mole poblano

    the best-known variety of mole, from the Mexican state of Puebla; often used as a shorthand for the sauce itself

  • mole negro

    a darker, Oaxacan variety of mole with a distinct flavour profile

用法筆記

The word comes from Nahuatl 'mōlli' (sauce). In English, 'mole' by itself refers to the sauce, not the dish — you say 'chicken with mole sauce' or 'mole poblano', not simply 'mole chicken'. The spelling is identical to other senses but pronunciation differs: /ˈmoʊ.leɪ/ (two syllables) rather than /moʊl/ (one syllable) for the animal or skin spot.

常見錯誤

❌I ordered mole chicken at the Mexican restaurant.
✅I ordered chicken with mole sauce at the Mexican restaurant.
💡'Mole' is the name of the sauce, not a cooking method, so it follows 'with'.