mousse

1 of 2

noun

ˈmüs 

1

: a light spongy food usually containing cream or gelatin

2

: a molded chilled dessert made with sweetened and flavored whipped cream or egg whites and gelatin

chocolate mousse

3

: a foamy preparation used in styling hair

mousse

2 of 2

verb

moussed; moussing

transitive verb

: to style (hair) with mousse

Examples of mousse in a Sentence

Noun

a jar of styling mousse

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Björk’s infamous 2001 Oscars swan dress takes flight as a delicate pavlova with passion fruit ganache, while Jennifer Lopez’s game-changing green Versace number appears as a tropical coconut mousse with pineapple-lime chutney on pistachio sponge. —Ritu Upadhyay, WWD, 28 Feb. 2025

This thickening mousse is infused with Shea Butter, Jojoba Seed Oil and hair nourishing Panthenol Vitamin B5 to condition brows while taming and boosting them to their lushest, fullest arch. —Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025

From shrunken suede jackets at Miu Miu to draped jersey dresses at Lemaire and Gucci, mocha mousse can act as the perfect backdrop for any colours within this report. —Libby Page, Vogue, 25 Feb. 2025

These Champagne-like wines are creamier, have milder acidity and a fine mousse, and are very attractively priced. —Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, literally, froth, moss, from Old French mosse, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German mos moss — more at moss

First Known Use

Noun

1885, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1984, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for mousse

• coos
• cruce
• deuce
• douce
• duce
• goose
• hoose
• juice
• loose
• noose
• nous
• sluice

Kids Definition

mousse

1 of 2 noun

ˈmüs 

1

: a light whipped or molded food

especially : a cold dessert of sweetened and flavored whipped cream or egg whites and gelatin

2

: a foamy preparation used in styling hair

mousse

2 of 2 verb

moussed; moussing

: to style (hair) with mousse