muse

¹

[ myooz ]

verb (used without object)

, mused, mus·ing.

1. to think or meditate in silence, as on some subject.

   Synonyms: deliberate, contemplate, ponder, dream, think, ruminate, cogitate

2. Archaic. to gaze meditatively or wonderingly.

verb (used with object)

, mused, mus·ing.

1. to meditate on.

   Synonyms: deliberate, contemplate, ponder

2. to comment thoughtfully or ruminate upon.

Muse

²

[ myooz ]

noun

1. Classical Mythology.
   1. any of a number of sister goddesses, originally given as Aoede (song), Melete (meditation), and Mneme (memory), but latterly and more commonly as the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne who presided over various arts: Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Erato (lyric poetry), Euterpe (music), Melpomene (tragedy), Polyhymnia (religious music), Terpsichore (dance), Thalia (comedy), and Urania (astronomy); identified by the Romans with the Camenae.
   2. any goddess presiding over a particular art.
2. (sometimes lowercase) the goddess or the power regarded as inspiring a poet, artist, thinker, or the like.
3. (lowercase) the genius or powers characteristic of a poet.

MUSE

³

abbreviation for

1. Mainstream U.S. English: a dialect of American English that is considered to be standard or unmarked by dialectal variation in pronunciation, syntactic structures, or vocabulary, and that is heard in newscasts and taught in schools.

muse

¹

/ mjuːz /

noun

1. a goddess that inspires a creative artist, esp a poet

Muse

²

/ mjuːz /

noun

1. Greek myth any of nine sister goddesses, each of whom was regarded as the protectress of a different art or science. Daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, the nine are Calliope, Clio, Erato, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, and Urania

muse

³

/ mjuːz /

verb

1. whenintr, often foll by on or about to reflect (about) or ponder (on), usually in silence
2. intr to gaze thoughtfully

noun

1. archaic.
   a state of abstraction

Derived Forms

• ˈmuseful, adjective
• ˈmuser, noun
• ˈmusefully, adverb

Other Words From

• muser noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of muse¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English musen “to mutter, gaze meditatively on, be astonished,” from Middle French muser, perhaps ultimately derivative of Medieval Latin mūsum “snout”; muzzle

Origin of muse²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English Muse, from Middle French, from Latin Mūsa, from Greek Moûsa

Origin of muse³

First recorded in 1995–2000; by abbreviation

Word History and Origins

Origin of muse¹

C14: from Old French, from Latin Mūsa, from Greek Mousa a Muse

Origin of muse²

C14: from Old French muser, perhaps from mus snout, from Medieval Latin mūsus

Example Sentences

To Blossoms, Gary has now become muse and mascot, spirit animal and unofficial sixth member of the band.

From BBC

During his campaign, Trump flirted with those boundaries, repeatedly musing about using the military to go after domestic political opponents, or to aid in mass deportations of illegal immigrants.

From Los Angeles Times

“Didion & Babitz,” available Nov. 12, probes this Janus-like contrast until a sharp picture forms of Didion as the ambitious careerist and Babitz as her muse, who subsequently becomes a writer herself.

From Los Angeles Times

“There is this little spark of light at the end of the tunnel,” Milioti muses.

From Los Angeles Times

That same charm is on full display in her special “Seasoned Professional,” released in February, which seamlessly ties tender musings on motherhood to cautionary tales from the lactose intolerant.

From Los Angeles Times