mullet

noun

mul·​let ˈmə-lət 

plural mullet or mullets

1

: any of a family (Mugilidae) of chiefly marine bony fishes with an elongate rather stout body compare goatfish, red mullet

2

[perhaps short for mullethead blockhead] : a hairstyle in which the hair is short on the sides and top and long at the back

Illustration of mullet

• mullet 1

Examples of mullet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The 1980s and 1990s brought more variety, from mullets to afros, while the 2000s saw a return to cleaner, more conservative styles. —Monty Davis, Kansas City Star, 24 Feb. 2025

Nestled in the historic commercial fishing village of Cortez, Swordfish Grill is surrounded by working docks and pristine mangroves, gray pelicans and blue herons, leaping mullet, and frolicking dolphins. —USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025

The pair are quickly joined by Ferrell's Daisy Duke-wearing character, complete with mullet. —Angela Andaloro, People.com, 17 Feb. 2025

Charlie Blackmon gave up his mullet, but there’s no way the baseball diehard could completely walk away from the game. —Kyle Newman, The Denver Post, 25 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English molet, from Anglo-French mulet, from Latin mullus red mullet, from Greek myllos

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing mullet

• red mullet

Rhymes for mullet

• gullet
• rivulet

Kids Definition

mullet

noun

mul·​let ˈməl-ət 

plural mullet or mullets

: any of a family of mostly gray food fishes chiefly of salt water compare red mullet