Meldrop / noun / ˈmɛldrɒp

Meldrop is a rarely used noun that describes a drop of mucus hanging from a person’s nose. You may have had a drop of mucus or snot hanging from your nose if you’ve ever had a cold, the flu, or COVID. Meldrop is the proper name that describes the pendulum-shaped drops that hang from the nose when it’s running.

In a Sentence

She noticed a meldrop hanging from her nose when she sneezed.

It’s a good idea to keep tissue paper handy to catch meldrops when you have a cold.

It’s embarrassing to get caught with a meldrop on your face.

Etymology

At the time we created the word, they used a version of the word meldrop In Scandinavian as meldropi to represent mucus or saliva hanging from a horse’s mouth. Etymologists say the word “meldrop” entered language in Old English and was first published in the Harley Glossary. We find meldrop used more commonly in Scottish or British than in North American English. We began using the word meldrop to describe pendulous mucus hanging from a person’s nose in the early 1930s. The word shows up in the Merriam-Webster 1934 unabridged dictionary.

Synonym

Mucus, Saliva

Antonym

Water