Etymology Inherited from Middle English molle, mulle (“dust, rubbish”), possibly from Old English myl (“dust, mould”), from Proto-West Germanic *muli, a deverbal formation from *mulljan and thus cognate with Dutch mul (“dust, mould”), German Müll (“rubbish”), Swedish moln (“cloud”) and related to English mill (“to grind”). Alternatively, from Middle French mol or its etymon Latin mollis (“soft”). Some verbal senses are supplied by Middle English mollen (“to soften, dissolve”), from Old French moillier, from Latin *molliāre (“to steep”), itself from mollis; compare moil.
Usually, With over To work (over) mentally; to cogitate; to ruminate.
to mull a thought or a problem
he paused to mull over his various options before making a decision
3 more examples
It was the germ of a thought, which, however, was destined to mull around in his conscious and subconscious mind until it resulted in magnificent achievement.1912 October, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Tarzan of the Apes”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., →OCLC; republished as chapter 5, in Tarzan of the Apes, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, June 1914, →OCLC:
But here’s a thought I had as you were speaking just now, and I’m mulling it over.2010, Plato, “Euthyphro”, in Christopher Rowe, transl., The Last Days of Socrates, Penguin Books Ltd., →ISBN, line 9c:
When Morrison mulls the pluses and minuses associated with rebuking Kelly for undermining the government’s public health messaging, the prime minister faces a genuine substantive dilemma, and that goes to the risks of amplification.2021 February 2, Katharine Murphy, “Scott Morrison must heed the lesson of Donald Trump and slap down Craig Kelly”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 27 Apr 2021:
2
To powder; to pulverize.
3
To chop marijuana so that it becomes a smokable form.
4
To heat and spice something, such as wine.
5
To join two or more individual windows at mullions.
'That's rather like another plant where a string of pearls was changed some years ago,' volunteered Greatorex, laying aside the paper in favour of his own reminiscences. […] 'Yes; they mulled that by not copying the sale label closely enough, and the attendant noticed it when the necklace was laid down again. […]'1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados Mysteries:
Etymology Inherited from Middle English molle, mulle (“dust, rubbish”), possibly from Old English myl (“dust, mould”), from Proto-West Germanic *muli, a deverbal formation from *mulljan and thus cognate with Dutch mul (“dust, mould”), German Müll (“rubbish”), Swedish moln (“cloud”) and related to English mill (“to grind”). Alternatively, from Middle French mol or its etymon Latin mollis (“soft”). Some verbal senses are supplied by Middle English mollen (“to soften, dissolve”), from Old French moillier, from Latin *molliāre (“to steep”), itself from mollis; compare moil.
1
Marijuana that has been chopped to prepare it for smoking.
2
A stew of meat, broth, milk, butter, vegetables, and seasonings, thickened with soda crackers.
3
The gauze used in bookbinding to adhere a text block to a book's cover.
4
An inferior kind of madder prepared from the smaller roots or the peelings and refuse of the larger.
Mr. HERDMAN. — The honourable member for Nelson says they made a mull of it. If the honourable gentleman had been a financial authority he would never have given expression to such a thought.1904, Parliamentary Debates, New Zealand. Parliament. House of Representatives, page 83:
2014, Andrea Pickens, A Stroke of Luck After studying the page a bit longer, she made a face. "Good Lord, you've really made a mull of it. Here, let me have a closer look."
The merchandise in this case consists of Madras mulls — thin cotton cloth.1891, United States. Department of the Treasury, Synopsis of the Decisions of the Treasury Department on the Construction of the Tariff, Navigation, and Other Laws for the Year Ended ..., page 631:
Smocking done in colors on fine white batiste, silk mull, or nainsook makes pretty guimpes and dresses for children and very smart blouses for women.1916, “Smocking”, in The Dressmaker: A Complete Book on All Matters Connected with Sewing and Dressmaking […], 2nd revised and enlarged edition, New York, N.Y.; London: The Butterick Publishing Company, →OCLC, page 29:
Mull
noun
Etymology From mulligatawny.
1
Obsolete, Slang A member of the Service belonging to the Madras Presidency.
The Mulls have been excited also by another occurrence […] affecting rather the trading than fashionable world.1837, Asiatic Journal, page 251:
[…] but the glorious days, when "Qui-hyes" and "Mulls" used to be pitted against each other for first spear, have vanished, […]1844, The New Sporting Magazine, volume 8, page 394:
1 more example
[R]esidents of Bengal, Bombay, and Madras are, in Eastern parlance, designated 'Qui Hies,' 'Ducks,' and 'Mulls.'1852, Notes and Queries (1st ser. v. 165)
Charles Dickens quoted in 1872, John Forster, The Life of Charles Dickens Much in this manner they exhibit at the door of a snuff-shop the effigy of a Highlander with an empty mull in his hand, who, apparently having taken all the snuff he can carry, and discharged all the sneezes of which he is capable, politely invites his friends and patrons to step in and try what they can do in the same line.