Mos Meaning: Here’s What It Means and How to Use It

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The abbreviation MOS is one that you’ll likely come across when exploring content regarding the military. It’s also commonly used as an acronym that can stand for a number of different things.  

Interested in learning more? We can help! Read on as we explore the word mos to uncover its many definitions, proper usage, and more.

What Is the Definition of Mos?

The word mos can be a little tricky to understand because it has many different meanings, but it’s commonly used as an abbreviation for Military Occupational Specialties. This essentially refers to positions that are available within the military for service members.    

For a person to enlist in any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, all applicants must first pass the Armed Forces Aptitude Battery or ASVAB. The results of an applicant’s ASVAB are also utilized when choosing what MOS best suits them. 

That said, the word mos is also known as the name of a famous hip-hop artist and actor from the United States, Mos Def.

Mos Def (AKA, Dante Terrell Smith) reached certified Gold in the US with his first solo album, Black on Both Sides. Additionally, his single “Ms. Fat Booty” reached No. 20 on the US Billboard Hot Rap Singles chart.

Additionally, the acronym MOS can stand for quite a few things, not just what we’ve covered so far. Yup, it’s true — here are some of the many meanings behind this common acronym:

  • Months
  • Man On the Street 
  • Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor
  • Margin On Services
  • Microsoft Office Specialist
  • Model Output Statistics 
  • Mean Opinion Score
  • Ministry of Sound 
  • Margin of Safety
  • Man Of Steel
  • Multiuser Operating System
  • Media Object Server
  • Mates of State (band)
  • Managed Objects
  • Management Operating System
  • Metal Oxide Silicon
  • Medical Outcomes Study
  • Member of the Opposite Sex
  • Make Out Session
  • Motor Only Sync
  • Mom Over Shoulder
  • Marine Observation Satellite
  • Matter of Size
  • Mit Out Sound
  • Member of Service
  • Manual of Style
  • Minimum Operating Strip
  • Mute on Sound
  • Military Obligated Service
  • Main Object Size
  • Manually Out of Service
  • Morph Operating Size

How Can You Use MOS in a Sentence?

Since our word of the day can be used in a number of ways, it’s easy to conjure up sentences with mos. Still a little confused? Not to worry — here are some example sentences for you to review:

Be careful with what you text me… MOS (mom over shoulder)!

Wait, I am still confused. What was the difference between the the Ministry of Shipping (MOS) and the Ministry of Commerce (MOC)?

In the realm of engineering, a margin of safety (MOS) is an important metric that compares a structure’s functional strength to its minimal requirement for strength.

A MOS is the job or role someone had while in the military.

I thought my baby brother was the king of the nerds and couldn’t even speak to a member of the opposite sex (MOS). 

He thinks he’s some man of steel (MOS), but he is really just a man of bologna. He will absolutely not get out of his chair. 

It took me a while to realize why my kids kept typing MOS every time I saw them talking to their friends. I finally went on Google and found in the Urban Dictionary that MOS is just a code word for Mom Over Shoulder!?

Mark was hoping for a steamy make-out session (MOS), so he asked me to the movies on Saturday.

I don’t know about you, but I enjoy dating both members of the opposite sex (MOS).

Did you know that MOS is the code for the job you are qualified for in the military?

My dad told me that the Marines Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) is a technical system that categorizes career fields.

What Are Translations of MOS? 

Although our word of the day has many meanings, it’s most commonly used in reference to the military. With this in mind, here are some common translations of Military Occupational Speciality (MOS):

  • Afrikaans — militêre beroep specialiteit
  • Arabic — التخصص المهني العسكري
  • Swedish — militär yrkes specialitet 
  • Thai — ทหารอาชีพพิเศษ 
  • Turkish — askeri meslek uzmanlığı 
  • Ukrainian — військово-професійна спеціальність
  • Vietnamese — chuyên ngành nghề nghiệp quân sự 
  • Bulgarian — военна професионална специалност
  • Portuguese — especialidade ocupacional militar
  • American English — military occupational specialty 
  • Spanish — especialidad ocupacional militar
  • Russian — военно-профессиональная специальность
  • Greek — στρατιωτική επαγγελματική ειδικότητα
  • Italian — specialità occupazione militare
  • Japanese — 軍事職業の専門
  • Croatian — vojna profesionalna specijalnost
  • Finnish — sotilaallinen ammatillinen erikoisuus
  • French — spécialité professionnelle militaire
  • Korean — 군사 직업 전문
  • Norwegian — militær yrkes spesialitet
  • Polish — wojskowa specjalność zawodowa
  • German — militärische Berufs Spezialität
  • Czech — vojenská profesní specializace
  • Danish — militær erhvervsmæssig specialitet
  • Dutch — militaire beroepsspecialisatie
  • Chinese (simplified) — 军事职业专业

Conclusion

The acronym MOS can stand for quite a few different things, such as military occupational specialty, metal-oxide-semiconductor, and made of steel. 

Mos is also an appropriate abbreviation for a number of words, including months, Ma On Shan (a town in Hong Kong), and the Mosaic Company. 

Additionally, MOS stands for Man of Steel, Member of the Opposite Sex, Mom Over Shoulder, and Make Out Session. 

Now that you understand all there is to know about mos, we invite you to explore our website where you can discover more interesting terms. From confusing slang and confusing words to complicated terms and their origins, when it comes to grammar — The Word Counter always has you covered.

Check us out and enhance your existing vocabulary today. Trust us — you’ll be glad you did!

Sources:

MOS synonyms, MOS antonyms | FreeThesaurus.com 

Mos Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

MOS definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary