muse
[ myooz ]
/ myuz /
||
verb (used without object), mused, mus·ing.
to think or meditate in silence, as on some subject.
Archaic. to gaze meditatively or wonderingly.
verb (used with object), mused, mus·ing.
to meditate on.
to comment thoughtfully or ruminate upon.
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Nearby words
Origin of muse
1300–50; Middle English musen to mutter, gaze meditatively on, be astonished < Middle French muser, perhaps ultimately derivative of Medieval Latin mūsum muzzle
SYNONYMS FOR muse
Related forms
mus·er, nounCan be confused
mews museDefinition for muses (2 of 2)
Muse
[ myooz ]
/ myuz /
noun
Classical Mythology.
- 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.
- any goddess presiding over a particular art.
(sometimes lowercase) the goddess or the power regarded as inspiring a poet, artist, thinker, or the like.
(lowercase) the genius or powers characteristic of a poet.
Origin of Muse
1350–1400; Middle English Muse < Middle French < Latin Mūsa < Greek Moûsa
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for muses
British Dictionary definitions for muses (1 of 3)
muse
1/ (mjuːz) /
verb
(when intr, often foll by on or about) to reflect (about) or ponder (on), usually in silence
(intr) to gaze thoughtfully
noun
archaic a state of abstraction
Derived Forms
muser, nounmuseful, adjectivemusefully, adverbWord Origin for muse
C14: from Old French muser, perhaps from mus snout, from Medieval Latin mūsus
British Dictionary definitions for muses (2 of 3)
muse
2/ (mjuːz) /
noun
a goddess that inspires a creative artist, esp a poet
Word Origin for muse
C14: from Old French, from Latin Mūsa, from Greek Mousa a Muse
British Dictionary definitions for muses (3 of 3)
Muse
/ (mjuːz) /
noun
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
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Culture definitions for muses
Muses
Nine goddesses of classical mythology who presided over learning and the arts. They were especially associated with poetry. Ancient Greek or Roman writers would often begin their poems by asking for the aid of the Muses in their composition.
Note
Writers and artists to this day speak of their “muse,” meaning their source of inspiration.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.