130 Science Words That Start With M (With Meanings & Examples)

Science is full of fascinating terms that begin with the letter M. From biology and chemistry to physics and astronomy, these words help students and researchers understand how the world works Science Words That Start With M. Learning science vocabulary with M not only builds knowledge but also makes it easier to explain scientific ideas in simple ways. This article provides a complete guide to 130 science words with M, arranged by grade level and subject, along with their meanings and examples.

Understanding the meaning of science words gives you confidence in using them correctly. By exploring this science word list M, you’ll see how terms connect across different fields. You’ll also notice how some words, like mass or molecule, appear in several branches of science with slightly different uses. The goal here is to make this scientific vocabulary list simple, practical, and easy to remember.

Biology Words Starting With M

Word	Meaning	Example
Mammal	A warm-blooded animal with hair or fur that feeds milk to its young	The whale is the largest mammal on Earth
Mutation	A change in the DNA of an organism	Some mutations can help species adapt to their environment
Microbiology	The study of tiny organisms like bacteria, viruses, and fungi	Microbiology is important in developing new medicines
Mitosis	Cell division that produces two identical daughter cells	Skin cells reproduce by mitosis
Mitochondria	Structures in cells that produce energy	Mitochondria are called the powerhouses of the cell
Monocot	A type of flowering plant with one seed leaf	Grasses and lilies are examples of monocots
Monosaccharide	The simplest form of sugar in biology	Glucose is a common monosaccharide
Macromolecule	A very large molecule such as proteins, fats, and DNA	Proteins are examples of macromolecules
Multicellular	Made of many cells	Humans are multicellular organisms
Mycology	The study of fungi	Mycology helps us understand mushrooms and molds

Chemistry Words Starting With M

Word	Meaning	Example
Molecule	The smallest unit of a chemical compound	A water molecule has two hydrogen and one oxygen atom
Molarity	A way to measure concentration in chemistry	The molarity of the solution was 2 moles per liter
Mixture	A combination of substances not chemically bonded	Salt water is a mixture of salt and water
Mass	The amount of matter in an object	The mass of the rock was measured in kilograms
Matrix	A surrounding medium where a reaction occurs	Enzymes act inside the mitochondrial matrix
Melting Point	The temperature at which a solid turns into a liquid	Ice has a melting point of 0°C
Metalloid	An element with properties of both metals and nonmetals	Boron is an example of a metalloid
Methane	A simple gas made of carbon and hydrogen	Methane is a greenhouse gas
Molten	A solid turned into liquid by heat	Molten iron is used in steel production
Molar Mass	The mass of one mole of a substance	The molar mass of water is 18 grams per mole

Physics Words Starting With M

Word	Meaning	Example
Motion	The change in position of an object	The motion of the car slowed as it reached the stoplight
Momentum	The product of mass and velocity of a moving object	A truck has more momentum than a bicycle at the same speed
Magnetism	The force exerted by magnets	Magnetism allows a compass needle to point north
Magnitude	The size or strength of a force or quantity	The magnitude of the earthquake was measured on the Richter scale
Mechanics	The branch of physics that studies motion and forces	Classical mechanics explains how planets move
Medium	A substance through which waves travel	Sound travels faster in water than in air as a medium
Magnetron	A device that generates microwaves	A magnetron powers microwave ovens
Mach Number	The ratio of speed to the speed of sound	Jets flying at Mach 2 are twice the speed of sound
Magnetosphere	The region around Earth influenced by its magnetic field	The magnetosphere protects Earth from solar radiation
Magnetohydrodynamics	The study of how magnetic fields affect fluids	Magnetohydrodynamics is important in astrophysics

Earth Science Words Starting With M

Word	Meaning	Example
Mantle	The thick layer beneath Earth’s crust	The mantle influences volcanic activity
Mineral	A naturally occurring solid substance with a definite structure	Quartz is a common mineral in rocks
Magma	Molten rock beneath the Earth’s surface	Magma cools to form igneous rocks
Meteorology	The study of weather and climate	Meteorology helps forecast storms
Marine	Related to the sea or ocean	Marine biology studies life in oceans
Mass Wasting	The movement of soil and rock downhill	Landslides are examples of mass wasting
Metamorphic	Rock formed by heat and pressure	Marble is a metamorphic rock
Mountain	A large natural elevation of Earth’s surface	Mount Everest is the tallest mountain
Monsoon	Seasonal winds that bring heavy rains	The monsoon season is vital for crops in Asia
Mid-Ocean Ridge	An underwater mountain chain formed by plate tectonics	The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mid-ocean ridge

Astronomy Words Starting With M

Word	Meaning	Example
Moon	Earth’s natural satellite	The Moon reflects sunlight at night
Meteor	A space rock that burns in Earth’s atmosphere	We saw a meteor streak across the sky
Meteorite	A meteor that reaches Earth’s surface	A meteorite created a crater in Arizona
Milky Way	The galaxy that contains our solar system	The Milky Way is visible on clear nights
Magnitude	The brightness of a star	The star had an apparent magnitude of 2
Mars	The fourth planet from the Sun	Mars is known as the Red Planet
Magnetar	A type of neutron star with strong magnetic fields	Magnetars emit intense radiation bursts
Multiverse	A theoretical concept of multiple universes	The multiverse theory fascinates many scientists
Microlensing	A gravitational lensing effect by small objects	Microlensing helps detect distant exoplanets
Magnetosphere	Region around a planet controlled by its magnetic field	Earth’s magnetosphere deflects solar wind

Medicine Words Starting With M

Word	Meaning	Example
Malaria	A disease caused by parasites transmitted by mosquitoes	Malaria is common in tropical regions
Metabolism	The process by which the body uses food for energy	Exercise increases metabolism
MRI	Medical imaging using magnetic fields	The doctor ordered an MRI scan
Microbe	A tiny organism like bacteria or virus	Some microbes cause infections
Mutation	A genetic change in DNA	Mutations can sometimes lead to cancer
Medicine	The science of treating illness	Modern medicine has saved millions of lives
Mortality	The state of being mortal or subject to death	The mortality rate dropped after vaccines were introduced
Muscle	Tissue that allows movement in the body	Exercise strengthens muscle fibers
Malnutrition	Condition caused by lack of proper food	Malnutrition affects children in poor regions
Migraine	Severe headache often with nausea	She took medicine to ease her migraine

Math Words Starting With M

Word	Meaning	Example
Median	The middle value in a set of numbers	The median of 2, 3, 5 is 3
Mode	The number that appears most often	The mode of 2, 2, 3, 5 is 2
Mean	The average of numbers	The mean of 2, 4, 6 is 4
Matrix	A rectangular arrangement of numbers	Matrix operations are used in computer graphics
Multiple	The product of a number and an integer	12 is a multiple of 3
Monomial	An algebraic expression with one term	5x² is a monomial
Magnitude	The size or length of a vector	The magnitude of velocity was 50 m/s
Modulo	The remainder after division	10 modulo 3 equals 1
Mapping	A relation between sets	A function is a type of mapping
Median Line	A line dividing a shape into equal halves	The median line divides a triangle

Technology Words Starting With M

Word	Meaning	Example
Microchip	A small electronic circuit	Microchips power modern computers
Modem	A device that connects computers to the internet	The modem provides Wi-Fi access
Mainframe	A powerful central computer	Banks use mainframes for transactions
Motherboard	The main circuit board in a computer	The CPU is attached to the motherboard
Megabyte	A unit of digital storage equal to 1 million bytes	The file size was 5 megabytes
Microprocessor	A chip that performs computing functions	The microprocessor is the brain of the PC
Machine Learning	A type of artificial intelligence	Machine learning improves voice assistants
Mobile	A portable device for communication	He checked the news on his mobile
Module	A unit of software or hardware	The system was built in separate modules
Memory	Storage space for computer data	The computer has 16 GB of memory

General Science Words Starting With M

Word	Meaning	Example
Matter	Anything that has mass and occupies space	Air and water are forms of matter
Measurement	The act of determining size, weight, or amount	Measurement is key in experiments
Model	A representation of a system or object	The solar system model explains planetary motion
Mechanism	A system of parts working together	The mechanism of a clock is complex
Microscope	An instrument that magnifies tiny objects	We saw bacteria under the microscope
Magnet	An object that attracts iron or steel	The magnet pulled the needle
Medium	A material through which energy passes	Light travels fastest in a vacuum medium
Motion	The act of changing position	Motion studied in physics
Magnitude	The size of a quantity	The magnitude of the force measured
Measurement Unit	A standard quantity for measuring	Kilograms are a unit of mass measurement

Environmental Science Words Starting with M

Word	Meaning	Example
Microclimate	Local climate in a small area	The microclimate near the lake is cooler.
Mitigation	Action to reduce negative effects	Planting trees is a form of climate mitigation.
Monitoring	Observing for changes or problems	Air quality monitoring helps control pollution.
Mineralization	Process of turning organic matter into minerals	Soil mineralization increases plant nutrients.
Methane	A greenhouse gas from animals and industry	Cows release methane into the atmosphere.
Mangrove	Coastal tree that protects shorelines	Mangroves reduce storm damage.
Monsoon	Seasonal wind with heavy rain	The monsoon brings rain to South Asia.
Moisture	Amount of water in the air or soil	Plants need soil moisture to grow.
Mountainous	Land covered with mountains	The mountainous region has unique ecosystems.
Migration	Movement of animals from one place to another	Bird migration happens every winter.

Geology Words Starting with M

Word	Meaning	Example
Magma	Molten rock under Earth’s crust	Volcanoes erupt when magma rises.
Mantle	Layer inside Earth below the crust	The Earth’s mantle is solid rock.
Mineral	Naturally occurring solid substance	Quartz is a common mineral.
Metamorphic	Rock changed by heat or pressure	Marble is a metamorphic rock.
Magnesite	A mineral made of magnesium carbonate	Magnesite used in industry.
Mudstone	Fine-grained sedimentary rock	Fossils found in mudstone.
Matrix	The surrounding material in which something embedded	Fossils preserved in a rock matrix.
Megafauna	Large animals from prehistoric times	Mammoths were megafauna.
Monocline	A type of fold in rock layers	A monocline shows Earth’s movement.
Mineralogy	Study of minerals	Mineralogy helps identify rock resources.

Ecology Words Starting with M

Word	Meaning	Example
Mutualism	Relationship where both species benefit	Bees and flowers show mutualism.
Mortality	Rate of death in a population	High mortality reduces animal numbers.
Migration	Movement of species to survive	Whale migration follows ocean currents.
Microorganism	Very small living thing	Bacteria are microorganisms.
Monoculture	Growing one crop in a large area	Monoculture farming can harm soil health.
Metapopulation	Groups of populations linked together	A butterfly metapopulation survives in patches.
Macroinvertebrate	Large animals without a backbone	Crayfish are macroinvertebrates.
Mesopredator	Middle-level predator in food chain	Foxes are mesopredators.
Marshland	Wetland area with grasses	Birds live in marshland areas.
Morphology	Form and structure of organisms	Leaf morphology varies among species.

Forensic Science Words Starting with M

Word	Meaning	Example
Mitochondrial DNA	DNA found in cell energy centers	Mitochondrial DNA helps identify remains.
Microscopy	Using a microscope to study samples	Hair microscopy helps solve crimes.
Morphology	Study of shapes and forms	Fingerprint morphology is unique.
Marker	A specific DNA sequence	A genetic marker links suspects.
Mass Spectrometry	Tool for chemical analysis	Mass spectrometry tests unknown substances.
Material Evidence	Physical objects used in a case	A weapon is material evidence.
Muzzle Print	Unique patterns on a gun’s muzzle	The muzzle print matched the weapon.
Metallurgy	Study of metals in forensic analysis	Metallurgy examines bullet fragments.
Microparticles	Tiny pieces of material	Dust microparticles can link a suspect.
Medical Examiner	Doctor who investigates deaths	The medical examiner confirmed the cause.

Conclusion

Exploring 130 science words with M shows how science connected across many subjects. Each word adds meaning, whether it’s from physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, or medicine. These scientific words starting with M are vocabulary; they’re tools for thinking, questioning, and explaining.

When you practice using this science word list M, you’ll see patterns, build confidence, and understand more about the universe. Science grows from small terms like matter to bigger ideas like metabolism, and each one makes the picture clearer. Keep revisiting this list, explore more science word definitions, and make science part of your everyday conversations.