moon

Etymology

From Middle English mone, from Old English mōna (“moon”), from Proto-West Germanic *mānō, from Proto-Germanic *mēnô (“moon”), from Proto-Indo-European *mḗh₁n̥s (“moon, month”), probably from *meh₁- (“to measure”). cognates and doublets Cognate with Scots mone, mune, muin (“moon”), North Frisian muun (“moon”), West Frisian moanne (“moon”), Dutch maan (“moon”), German Mond (“moon”), Danish måne (“moon”), Norwegian Bokmål måne (“moon”), Norwegian Nynorsk måne (“moon”), Swedish måne (“moon”), Icelandic máni (“moon”), Latin mēnsis (“month”). See also month, a related term within Indo-European.

noun

1. (colloquial, by extension of Moon) Any natural satellite of a planet.
   The stargazer observed the moons of Jupiter for over a year.
   That's no moon, you idiot... it's a space station!
2. (literary) A month, particularly a lunar month.
   For since these arms of mine had seven years' pith, Till now some nine moons wasted, they have used Their dearest action in the tented field… 1603, William Shakespeare, Othello
   They number their age by Moons or Winters, and say a Woman or a Man is so many Moons old, and so they do with all memorable Actions in life, accounting it to be so many Moons or Winters since such or such a thing happened. 1737, John Brickell, The natural history of North-Carolina, pages 308–309
   Many moons had waxed and waned when on the afternoon of a lovely summer day a lusty broad-boned knight was riding through the forest of Sherwood. 1822, Thomas Love Peacock, Maid Marian, page 238
   2002, Russell Allen, "Incantations of the Apprentice", on Symphony X, The Odyssey. Through eerie reach of ancient woods / Where lumbering mists arise / I journey for nines moons of the year / To where a land of legend lies
   They stayed with their aunt and uncle for many moons.
3. A representation of the moon, usually as a crescent or as a circle with a face; a crescent-shaped shape, symbol, or object.
   The wizard costume was decorated with stars and moons.
4. A crescent-like outwork in a fortification.
   The moons surrounding the city walls were built in the sixteenth century.
5. The eighteenth trump/major arcana card of the Tarot.
6. (cartomancy) The thirty-second Lenormand card.
7. (card games) In hearts, the action of taking all the point cards in one hand.

verb

1. (transitive, colloquial) To display one's buttocks to, typically as a jest, insult, or protest.
   The hooligans mooned the riot police.
   It was ill-advised of Sam to moon the photographer during the shoot.
2. (intransitive, colloquial) To gaze at lovingly or in adoration.
3. (intransitive, colloquial) (usually followed by over or after) To fuss over something adoringly; to be infatuated with someone.
   Sarah mooned over Sam's photograph for months.
   You've been mooning after her forever; why not just ask her out?
   On some level, the filmmakers behind Monster Trucks must have recognized the ill fit of Till playing a teenager, because they cast Jane Levy, a 27-year-old who can pass for younger but not a decade younger, as Meredith, a nerdy classmate of Tripp’s who moons over him as she insists on making an appointment to tutor him in biology. January 12, 2017, Jesse Hassenger, “A literal monster truck is far from the stupidest thing about Monster Trucks”, in The Onion AV Club
4. To spend time idly, absent-mindedly.
   We were only three on board. The poor old skipper mooned in the cabin. 1898, Joseph Conrad, Youth
5. (transitive) To expose to the rays of the Moon.
6. (transitive) To adorn with moons or crescents.
7. (cryptocurrencies, of a coin or token) To rise in price rapidly or suddenly.
   It is impractical if a currency moons and plummets often.
   I've followed several of the most popular crypto pundits on Twitter and discovered they constantly brag about their one big Hail Mary pick that mooned but neglect to mention – or delete – their numerous fumbles. 2019, Mark Grabowski, Cryptocurrencies: A Primer on Digital Money, Routledge
8. (card games) To shoot the moon.