1
a
often capitalized
: the earth's natural satellite (see satellite sense 1a) that shines by the sun's reflected light, revolves about the earth from west to east in about 29¹/₂ days with reference to the sun or about 27¹/₃ days with reference to the stars, and has a diameter of 2160 miles (3475 kilometers), a mean distance from the earth of about 238,900 miles (384,400 kilometers), and a mass about one eightieth that of the earth
—usually used with the
b
: one complete moon cycle consisting of four phases (see phase entry 1 sense 1)
c
: satellite sense 1
specifically
: a natural satellite of a planet
the moons of Jupiter
2
: an indefinite usually extended period of time
a labor of many moons
3
: moonlight
keep out of the moon or it may turn your head—
H. R. Haggard
H. R. Haggard4
: something that resembles a moon: such as
a
: a highly translucent (see translucent sense 1) spot on old porcelain
b
: lunule
c
slang
: naked buttocks
5
: something impossible or inaccessible
reach for the moon
mooned; mooning; moons
1
: to spend in idle reverie : dream
—used with away
mooned the afternoon away
2
slang
: to expose one's naked buttocks to
One of the boys mooned the crowd.
: to spend time in idle reverie : behave abstractedly
fans mooning over movie stars
Synonyms
Examples of moon in a Sentence
Noun
The telescope makes the craters on the surface of the moon incredibly clear.
the orbit of the Moon around the Earth
Europa and Io are both moons of Jupiter.
a planet orbited by one moon
Verb
One of the boys mooned the crowd.
One of the boys mooned at the crowd.
Recent Examples on the WebValerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 1 June 2024
The twin ships performed dazzling science, returning some of the best pictures ever taken of the worlds and discovering moons and rings never before seen.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 28 May 2024
Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
The New York Times, April 12, 1985, Lasers measure distance to moon to within an inch, scientists say
The Institute of Physics, accessed Jan. 16, The Moon’s distance from Earth
Thank you for supporting our journalism.
—USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for moon 
Noun
Fresh new perspectives await, so be sure to seize the opportunity to network and collaborate during the new moon on June 6.
—Valerie Mesa, Peoplemag, 1 June 2024
The twin ships performed dazzling science, returning some of the best pictures ever taken of the worlds and discovering moons and rings never before seen.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 28 May 2024
Verb
The annual tradition apparently started in 1979 when a patron at a nearby saloon offered to buy a drink for anyone willing to run outside and moon the next train … Cheers, San Juan Capistrano!
—Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2024
The New York Times, April 12, 1985, Lasers measure distance to moon to within an inch, scientists say
The Institute of Physics, accessed Jan. 16, The Moon’s distance from Earth
Thank you for supporting our journalism.
—USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for moon
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'moon.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near moon
Cite this Entry
“Moon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moon. Accessed 5 Jun. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
moon
1 of 2 noun1
a
: the earth's natural satellite that shines by reflecting light from the sun and revolves about the earth in about 29½ days
2
: an unspecified and usually long period of time
took many moons to complete
moonless
adjective
-ləs
moon
2 of 2 verb
: to spend time daydreaming
Medical Definition
moon
nounLove words? Need even more definitions?
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