MOT

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ɛm.əʊ.tiː/

(roadworthiness test): From the initials of the Ministry of Transport, a former government department.

MOT (countable and uncountable, plural MOTs)

1. (British, countable) An annual test of roadworthiness for British cars over three years old.

   I can’t drive over this week, the car is in for its MOT.

   Synonym: (US) vehicle inspection

2. (British) An aggregate which meets the Ministry of Transport standard as a compact subbase.

   It will need some MOT at the bottom and then a layer of washed sand.

3. (UK, countable, by extension) Any regular checkup.
   • 2008, Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Communities and Local Government Committee, Existing Housing and Climate Change: Seventh Report (page 17)

     Mr. Baines: We have also said in our response that we believe that an 'MOT' for houses would be a good idea. How and when you apply this—
     Q120 Mr Olner: Wait a minute! I have got a motorcar and I have to have an MOT after three years, so if you are going to talk about an MOT for housing stock, what are we talking about in years […]

   • 2026 January 19, Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and Emma Reynolds MP, Government unveils biggest overhaul to water in a generation (press release) [1]

     The new regulator will introduce an 'MOT' approach for water company infrastructure, requiring health checks on pipes, pumps and more.

4. (business, uncountable) Initialism of management of technology.
5. (electronics, countable) Initialism of microwave oven transformer.
6. Initialism of member of the tribe (“a Jew”).
   • 2012, Gil Troy, “Finding Members of the Tribe”, in The Daily Beast:

     And, of course, she and her family would be welcome in our home too, with bagels, crembos—and even the kind of four course meal we were lucky enough to enjoy with them, our fellow MoTs.

   • 2013, Stephanie Butnick, “American Apparel’s Black Nail Polish Color is Called 'Hassid'”, in Jewcy:

     This isn’t the first time American Apparel founder Dov Charney, who is Jewish, has gotten himself in hot water with his fellow MOTs.

7. (physics, countable) Initialism of magnetooptical trap.

• DMV
• RTA

• OMT, OTM, TMO, Tom, tom

• M.O.T.

Short for mikä oli todistettava = mikä (“what”) + oli (“was”) + todistettava (“to be proven”)

MOT

1. (mathematics) QED, quod erat demonstrandum