How does one use 'moue' properly in a sentence?

I don't understand how to use moue in a sentence. I know the definition of moue:

noun - a little grimace : pout

It says it is a noun, but whenever I've seen it used, it always comes off verb-like, unless I'm misreading.

An example:

With a moue of discontent, he set down his mug upon the table at his elbow and rubbed his hands through his hair, mussing it so that it would probably be horribly tangled when he tried to brush it later.

Either way, I still don't understand how to use this word properly. Do you always say 'moue of x' or can it be used by itself like 'His moue showed how unhappy he was'?

Solution 1:

I, for one, do not always say “moue of x”, so the answer to the first question is no. For the other half of your question, it is grammatical to say “His moue showed how unhappy he was”; but I have yet to hear anyone say such a thing. Note, wiktionary's entry for moue says

Often used in the phrase “make a moue”, influenced by French “faire la moue”, meaning “to pout”

and one of the examples cited is for “made ... a moue”:

She made what I believe, though I wouldn't swear to it, is called a moue. Putting the lips together and shoving them out, if you know what I mean. The impression I got was that she was disappointed in Bertram, having expected better things [...]. (1960, P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves in the Offing)