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definitions

musing

[myoo-zing]
See more synonyms for musing on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. absorbed in thought; meditative.
noun
  1. contemplation; reflection.

Origin of musing

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400; see origin at muse, -ing2, -ing1
Related formsmus·ing·ly, adverbun·mus·ing, adjective

muse

[myooz]
verb (used without object), mused, mus·ing.
  1. to think or meditate in silence, as on some subject.
  2. Archaic. to gaze meditatively or wonderingly.
verb (used with object), mused, mus·ing.
  1. to meditate on.
  2. to comment thoughtfully or ruminate upon.

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
Related formsmus·er, noun
Can be confusedmews muse

Synonyms for muse

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1. cogitate, ruminate, think; dream. 1, 3. ponder, contemplate, deliberate.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for musing

absorbed, thought, meditation, contemplation, reflection, deliberation, reverie, introspection, pondering, pensiveness, introspective, meditative, thoughtful

Examples from the Web for musing

Contemporary Examples of musing

Historical Examples of musing

  • "I don't see why Robert hasn't been and let me know of this," said Mr. Paine, musing.

    Brave and Bold

    Horatio Alger

  • Such, in truth, was too often the habit of the shy and musing girl.

    Sylph Etherege

    Nathaniel Hawthorne

  • He drove gloomily away, and Lucy Ann stepped into the store, musing.

    Tiverton Tales

    Alice Brown

  • But he only moved back a little, and went on fitting and musing.

    Tiverton Tales

    Alice Brown

  • "Yes, it's a good place for you to be in—I'm sure of that," said the other, musing again.

British Dictionary definitions for musing

muse

1
verb
  1. (when intr, 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 Formsmuser, nounmuseful, adjectivemusefully, adverb

Word Origin for muse

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

muse

2
noun
  1. 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

Muse

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
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
Word Origin and History for musing
n.

late 14c., "complaint," verbal noun from muse (v.). Meaning "pondering" is from mid-15c. Related: Musingly; musings.

muse

v.

"to reflect, to be absorbed in thought," mid-14c., from Old French muser (12c.) "to ponder, dream, wonder; loiter, waste time," literally "to stand with one's nose in the air" (or, possibly, "to sniff about" like a dog who has lost the scent), from muse "muzzle," from Gallo-Romance *musa "snout," of unknown origin. Probably influenced in sense by muse (n.). Related: Mused; musing.

muse

n.

late 14c., protectors of the arts, from Old French Muse and directly from Latin Musa, from Greek Mousa, "the Muse," also "music, song," from PIE root *men- "to think, remember" (see mind (n.)). Meaning "inspiring goddess of a particular poet" is from late 14c. The traditional names and specialties of the nine Muses, daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, are: Calliope (epic poetry), Clio (history), Erato (love poetry, lyric art), Euterpe (music, especially flute), Melpomene (tragedy), Polymnia (hymns), Terpsichore (dance), Thalia (comedy), Urania (astronomy).

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper