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mooch (mch) Informal
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v. mooched, mooch·ing, mooch·es
v. tr.
1. To obtain or try to obtain by begging; cadge. See Synonyms at cadge.
2. To steal; filch.
v. intr.
1. To get or try to get something free of charge; sponge: lived by mooching off friends.
2. To wander about aimlessly.
3. To skulk around; sneak.
n.
1. One who begs or cadges; a sponge.
2. A dupe, as in a confidence game.
[Middle English michen, mowchen, to pilfer, steal (small things), probably from Old French mucier, muchier, to conceal, hide, from Vulgar Latin *mūciāre, possibly of Gaulish origin and akin to Old Irish múchad, a covering over, smothering, stifling, from a Proto-Celtic root *mūk-, *muk-, to stifle, hide; possibly further akin to Old High German muhhen, muhhon, to lie in ambush.]
moocher n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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