Meaning & use
mullet
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Meanings
nouncountableinformal
A hairstyle that is short at the front and sides but long at the back.
Grammar: Countable: he had a mullet.
Patterns
- wear a mullet
- have a mullet
My uncle still has the mullet he wore in the 1980s.
The singer's mullet made him instantly recognizable.
Mullets have become fashionable again.
nouncountable or uncountable
A type of sea or freshwater fish with a thick body, eaten as food.
Grammar: Plural is mullet or mullets; as food, uncountable.
Patterns
- grilled mullet
We bought fresh mullet at the harbor.
Grey mullet swim in shallow coastal water.
The restaurant serves grilled mullet with lemon.
Word forms
| plural | mullets |
|---|
Common combinations
- wear a mullet
- He wore a mullet to the party.
- business in the front, party in the back
- The mullet is often called business in the front, party in the back.
- grey mullet
- Grey mullet is common in estuaries.
- red mullet
- Red mullet is popular in Mediterranean cooking.
- mullet haircut
- He got a mullet haircut.
Synonyms and how they differ
- haircut
- A general term, not tied to the short-front, long-back shape.
Commonly confused: mullet or mallet?
mullet vs mallet
A mallet is a hammer-like tool; a mullet is a hairstyle or a fish.
Practice
A haircut that is short on top and sides but long down the back is called a ____.
Choose one answer.
A mullet has that shape. A bob is even length around the head, a crew cut is short all over, and a bun is a tied-up style.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mullet”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.