mola

¹ American  

[moh-luh] / ˈmoʊ lə /

noun

plural

mola,

plural

molas

1. any of several thin, silvery fishes of the family Molidae, of tropical and temperate seas.

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mola ² American  

[moh-luh, maw-lah] / ˈmoʊ lə, ˈmɔ lɑ /

noun

plural

molas

1. a colorfully appliquéd piece of fabric handcrafted by the Cuna Indian women of the islands in the Gulf of San Blas and used for clothing, decoration, etc.

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mola British  

/ ˈməʊlə /

noun

1. another name for sunfish

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Etymology

Origin of mola¹

1595–1605; < Latin: millstone; so called from its shape

Origin of mola²

1940–45; < Cuna: clothing, blouse, mola

Example Sentences

There are three species of these sunfish—Mola mola, Mola tecta and Mola alexandrini—which can be difficult to tell apart without genetic analysis.

From Scientific American • Oct. 20, 2022

And if you like weird and appealing, the Mola mola, or ocean sunfish, makes a similar appearance.

From New York Times • Mar. 22, 2018

From her first crude attempts at the difficult reverse applique, a Kuna woman will stitch on her mola daily, first for her trousseau, then to sell.

From Time Magazine Archive

The number of day trippers, drawn by the Kuna's renowned cloth art, the mola, has multiplied.

From Time Magazine Archive

Nunc Charta est in usu, quam Chattopœus in mola Papyracea, 4. conficit è Linteis vetustis, 5. in Pulmentum contusis, 6. quod haustum Normulis, 7. diducit in Plagulas, 8. exponitque aëri, ut siccentur.

From The Orbis Pictus by Hoole, Charles