as in specks
a very small piece
there's not a mote of dirt in that woman's house
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Recent Examples of motes
Easily swept up by wind and carried long distances by water, these tiny motes are also exceedingly difficult to detect and almost impossible to remove from the environment.
—
K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 22 Jan. 2026
There’s a Gambit-adjacent one that has players depositing motes while killing other teams.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
The sensors’ small size allows seamless integration into almost any environment, while the wireless, modular design lets motes be added or removed as needed depending on the application.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2025
Powering and recording signals from multiple motes will require new techniques and better signal processing.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Oct. 2016
K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 22 Jan. 2026
There’s a Gambit-adjacent one that has players depositing motes while killing other teams.
—Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2025
The sensors’ small size allows seamless integration into almost any environment, while the wireless, modular design lets motes be added or removed as needed depending on the application.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 6 Aug. 2025
Powering and recording signals from multiple motes will require new techniques and better signal processing.
—Eliza Strickland, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Oct. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for motes
Noun
-
Tiny beads of blood had seeped out and dried into tiny specks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Also known as sunspots, solar lentigines, or liver spots, age spots are additional specks and bits of pigment caused by excessive sun exposure.—
Essence,
Essence,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
That leads to high temperatures, which create a glowing protostar due to the rapid (kinetic) motion of the internal gas particles, and eventually, after a few tens of millions of years, the core temperatures rise high enough (above 4 million K or so) that nuclear fusion of hydrogen begins.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
-
The findings open a novel way to probe how quarks become bound into protons, neutrons, and other particles.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
As Dracula, Jones is giddy and joyous with flecks of depravity bursting through as the plot expands to include his ethereal bond with Harker’s fiancée, Mina Murray (also Bleu).—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Editors could immediately tell that this wasn't your typical tortilla chip, noting the pale color and dark flecks of chia seed.—
Kimberly Holland,
Southern Living,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
There are several bits about comedy that haven’t aged well — references to Bill Cosby and Russell Peters, and there’s a scene from The Hangover.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
13 Feb. 2026
-
This brought back family gossip and hesitant bits of information about my mother’s beloved grandfather, my maternal great-grandfather.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Oats and quinoa are both nutrient-dense, heart-healthy whole grains.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Fiber is mainly found in legumes, like beans, as well as in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.—
Virginia Willis,
AJC.com,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Another pair was constructed with various patches of blanket and check fabrics.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Written and performed Kentucky natives Nick Jamerson and Kris Bentley, the this song is love note to Kentucky which paints a nostalgic picture of familiar landscapes like old barns, tobacco patches, and the specific, winding journey of the Kentucky Mountain Parkway.—
Kirby Adams,
Louisville Courier Journal,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Researchers analyzed the medical records of over 2,500 people with asthma by using metabolomics, a way to measure small molecules in the blood called metabolites.—
Helen Carefoot,
Flow Space,
13 Feb. 2026
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The molecules in an apple are described by quantum mechanics, and photons of light bouncing off the surface molecules get entangled with them.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Cut with a floured 2 3/4- to 3-inch round or square cutter; re-form scraps as necessary to make six biscuits.—
Holly Riordan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Feb. 2026
-
This will help flush any loose food scraps down the disposal or into your strainer basket for easy removal.—
Kate Van Pelt,
The Spruce,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Motes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/motes. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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