mola

mola¹

/moh"leuh/, n., pl. (esp. collectively) mola, (esp. referring to two or more kinds or species) molas.

any of several thin, silvery fishes of the family Molidae, of tropical and temperate seas. Cf. ocean sunfish.

[1595-1605; < L: millstone; so called from its shape]

mola²

/moh"leuh/; Sp. /maw"lah/, n., pl. molas /-leuhz/; Sp. /-lahs/.

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.

[1940-45; < Cuna: clothing, blouse, mola]

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▪ clothing

 type of embroidered woman's outer garment, worn as part of the blouse by the Kuna Indians of the San Blas Archipelago, off the eastern coast of Panama. The mola's brightly coloured designs, done in reverse appliqué technique, traditionally are abstract, often based on the patterns of brain coral. Recently, schematically drawn figurative designs have become frequent.

      The origin of the mola remains uncertain. It is known, however, to have first appeared during the early period of Spanish colonization, and its patterns may constitute a residual of pre-Hispanic body-painting designs. Today the mola is used not only for a garment but also for a wall hanging or other interior home decoration.

▪ fish

also called  ocean sunfish , or  headfish 

 any of three species of oceanic fishes of the family Molidae. Molas are distinctive in appearance, with short bodies that end abruptly just behind the tall, triangular dorsal and anal fins. The fishes are also flattened from side to side and have tough skins, small mouths, and fused, beaklike teeth.

 The mola (Mola mola) is an enormous, gray or brownish species reaching a maximum length and weight of about 3.3 m (11 feet) and 1,900 kg (4,000 pounds). More or less oval or circular in shape, it takes its name from the millstone, or mola, to which it was likened by Linnaeus. An inhabitant of temperate and tropical regions throughout the world, it is usually found in the open sea, often at the surface.

      The other varieties of mola are longer in the body but are similarly cut short behind the dorsal and anal fins. The sharptail mola (Mola lanceolata, or Masturus lanceolatus) is also very large, but the slender mola (Ranzania laevis) is smaller, being about 70 cm (30 inches) long.

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