mooch

Plural: mooches

Noun

someone who mooches or cadges (tries to get something free)
An aimless stroll.
One who mooches; a moocher.
Synonym of Scaramucci (“unit of time”).

Verb

Verb Forms: mooched, mooching, mooches

To obtain or get something by begging or without paying.
ask for and get free; be a parasite
To wander around aimlessly, often causing irritation to others.
To beg, cadge, or sponge; to exploit or take advantage of others for personal gain.
To steal or filch.

Examples

He tried to ’MOOCH’ a few extra points by using a questionable word.
Jack wouldn't be arriving for another ten minutes, so I had a mooch around the garden.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English moochen, mouchen (“to pretend poverty”), from Old French muchier, mucier, mucer (“to skulk, hide, conceal”), from Frankish *mukkjan (“to hide, conceal oneself”), from Proto-Germanic *mukjaną, *mūkōną (“to hide, ambush”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)mūg-, *(s)mewgʰ- (“swindler, thief”).
Cognate with Old High German mūhhōn (“to store, cache, plunder”), Middle High German muchen, mucken (“to hide, stash”), Middle English müchen, michen (“to rob, steal, pilfer”). More at mitch.
Alternate etymology derives mooch from Middle English mucchen (“to hoard, be stingy”, literally “to hide coins in one's nightcap”), from Middle English mucche (“nightcap”), from Middle Dutch mutse (“cap, nightcap”), from Medieval Latin almucia (“nightcap”), of unknown origin, possibly Arabic. More at mutch, amice.

Synonyms

bum, cadge, cadger, grub, moocher, scrounger, sponge, Scaramucci, abduct, abstract, appropriate, bag, bandit, bash and grab, beg, blag, bloodsucker, bone, boost, borrow, bummer, burglarize, burgle, cheat, chore, commandeer, confiscate, convert, cop, cozen, crib, embezzle, filch, fleece, flog, free rider, freeloader, gadfly, gaffle, gilravage, half-inch, heave, heist, jack, kidnap, kipe, knock off, kyper, leech, leech#Verb, liberate, lift, loot, make off with, mill, misappropriate, mooch, moonlight requisition, nick, nip, own, parasite, peculate, pickpocket, pilfer, pillage, pinch, pirate, plunder, poach, pocket, prig, purloin, raid, ransack, rape, reave, relieve, rip, rip off, rob, run off with, scrounge, scunge, smell-feast, snag, snatch, sniggle, snitch, sponger, steal, sucker, swindle, swipe, tap, thieve, trencher mate, walk off with, wheedle

Scrabble Score: 12

mooch: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
mooch: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
mooch: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 13

mooch: valid Words With Friends Word