moose vs. mousse

What is the difference between moose and mousse?

The words moose and mousse, though having very different origins, spellings, and meanings, are both pronounced the same way: /mus/ (rhyming with goose).
Moose is a noun referring to a large, long-headed North American deer, typified by the enormous palmate antlers of the male. (Interestingly, moose is one of the few countable nouns whose plural form is the same as its singular—we would say “one moose” and “two moose.”) For example:
  • “Many people don’t realize just how dangerous moose can be if you encounter them in the wild.”
  • “We were shocked to discover a moose that had wandered into our back yard.”
Mousse, on the other hand, is taken directly from French, and, in English, typically refers to a chilled dessert consisting of whipped egg whites or cream flavored with chocolate, coffee, caramel, or other ingredients. For example:
  • “I’d love to try the mousse, but I’m so full from dinner that I don’t think I could handle something so rich.”
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