(a) A mouse; also, a shrewmouse [quot.: Lanfranc]; feld ~ [see feld n. 4b. (1)]; water ~, q.v.; (b) a representation of a mouse; (c) as a type of the timid, weak, or insignificant; mouses herte, a coward; (d) in proverbial sayings.

In cpds. and combs.: (a) ~ cacche (falle, snach, stok, trappe), a mousetrap; also fig.; (b) ~ drit (dong, tord), the excrement of a mouse; ~ hole, mousehole; mis-flour, ?flour for mice; mis-furre, ?the fur or pelt of a mouse; ~ sleere, mouse killer, a coward; ~ tail, mouse tail; ~ takere, one who traps mice; (c) in plant names: ~ ballok, an unidentified plant with small testicle-shaped leaves; ~ dode, mouseheap; prob. white sedum (Sedum album); ~ fecche, mousevetch, some variety of mouse pea (?Lathyrus pratensis, ?Lathyrus macrorrhizus); ~ oinion, ?some kind of small onion; (d) as adj.: ~ don, ~ hered, mouse-colored.

In surnames and place names [see Smith PNElem. 2.45].