Mūle, n.

n. [Fr. mule, mulet, Pr. mul, mulet, Sp. & It. mulo, Lat. mulus, A-S. mūl, mūl-ae, O. Eng. muole, Scot. mull, D. mull, muile-zel, M. H. Ger. mūl, N. H. Ger. maul, mauleset, maulthier, Dan. muliisel, Sw. muliisna, Icel. mūlus-ni, mūll.]

1. A quadruped of a mongrel breed, usually generated between an ass and a mare, sometimes between a horse and a she-ass; —applied also to any animal produced by a mixture of different species.
2. A plant or vegetable produced by impregnating the pistil of one species with the pollen or fecundating dust of another; —called also hybrid.
3. [Ger. mühle, mill; M. Ger. mule.] A machine used in spinning cotton; —called also mule-jenny.