mus´er

muse «myooz», verb, mused, mus|ing, noun.

–v.i.

1. to think in a dreamy way; think; meditate: »

The Vicar sat musing before the fire in his study (Henry Kingsley).

SYNONYM(S): reflect, ruminate, ponder.

2. to look thoughtfully: »

For some time Rip lay musing on this scene (Washington Irving).

3. Archaic. to wonder: »

Do not muse at me, my most worthy friends (Shakespeare).

–v.t.

1. to say thoughtfully:

2. Archaic. to ponder over; wonder; meditate on: »

I muse what this young fox may mean (Matthew Arnold).

–n.

1. Archaic. a fit of musing: »

He would fall into a deep muse over our accounts, staring at the page or out of the window (Robert Louis Stevenson).

2. Obsolete. wonder.

╂[< Old French muser ponder, loiter, apparently (originally) put one's nose in the air < muse muzzle. Compare etym. under muzzle.]

–mus´er, noun.

Muse «myooz», noun.

1. Greek Mythology. one of the nine goddesses of the fine arts and sciences. They were Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Erato (love poetry), Euterpe (lyric poetry), Melpomene (tragedy), Polyhymnia or Polymnia (sacred song), Terpsichore (dancing), Thalia (comedy and pastoral poetry), and Urania (astronomy).

2. a) Sometimes, muse. a spirit that inspires a poet, composer, or writer; source of inspiration: »

Fool, said my Muse to me, look in thy heart and write (Philip Sidney).

b) a poet.

╂[< Old French Muse, learned borrowing from Latin Mūsa < Greek Moûsa]