mooses

"Mooses" is a nonstandard plural form of the word "moose," an ungulate of the genus Alces in the deer family (Cervidae). Standard English uses the invariant plural "moose" for more than one animal (e.g., "two moose"), but "mooses" appears in colloquial speech, children's literature, regional dialects, and historical texts. Its usage is often considered informal or erroneous by prescriptive guides.

The animal commonly called moose (Alces alces) is the largest member of the deer family, native to boreal and mixed deciduous forests of North America, Europe, and Asia. Adult males typically have broad, palmate antlers and are known for their large size, long legs, and humped shoulders. Moose are browsers that feed on leaves, twigs, and aquatic vegetation; they are generally solitary except during the mating season or when females accompany calves.

Etymology of the word traces to Eastern Algonquian languages (for example, Eastern Abenaki moz or mos), adopted into English in the 17th century. Because "moose" is already plural-invariant in standard usage, many style guides and dictionaries recommend avoiding "mooses." The variant appears occasionally in proper names and popular culture (team names, character names), where it functions as a pluralized form for branding or humorous effect.

For formal writing and scientific contexts, use "moose" for both singular and plural; use "mooses" only when quoting dialectal speech or when referencing specific named entities that adopt the form.