1. any short-lived emotional state, usually of low intensity (e.g., a cheerful mood, an irritable mood).

2. a disposition to respond emotionally in a particular way that may last for hours, days, or even weeks, perhaps at a low level and without the person knowing what prompted the state. Moods differ from emotions in lacking an object; for example, the emotion of anger can be aroused by an insult, but an angry mood may arise when one does not know what one is angry about or what elicited the anger. Disturbances in mood are characteristic of mood disorders.

3. in linguistics, a category of a verb used to identify a clause or sentence as being a statement, question, command, expression of wish, and so on. See imperative; indicative; interrogative; subjunctive.