I. ˈmyüz verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English musen, from Middle French muser to idle, loiter, muse (probably originally, “to gape, stare”), from muse mouth of an animal, snout, from Medieval Latin musus
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to become absorbed in thought : ruminate
muse upon the continuity and the tragic finality of life — Irving Howe
its suggestions set the imagination musing — Irwin Edman
b. archaic : to look reflectively
the mind is left to muse upon the solemn scene — William Wordsworth
2. archaic : to become astonished : wonder , marvel
do not muse at me my most worthy friends — Shakespeare
transitive verb
1. archaic : to ask oneself : wonder
muse what this young fox may mean — Matthew Arnold
2.
a. : to ruminate on
mused the question considerably once more — Harper's
b. : to say or think reflectively
I could sell the house, she mused, but then where would I go
3. obsolete : to puzzle over (a fact or occurrence) : be surprised that
I muse my Lord of Gloucester is not come — Shakespeare
Synonyms: see ponder
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from musen, v.
: a state of deep thought or dreamy abstraction : brown study
thrown into a muse by the book she was reading
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin Musa, from Greek Mousa; probably akin to Greek mnasthai to remember — more at mind
1.
a. usually capitalized : any of nine sister goddesses associated with the Graces in Greek mythology and regarded as presiding over learning and the creative arts (as poetry and music) — usually used in plural
the Muses … gave the poet his song and sang it through his lips — T.B.L.Webster
b. sometimes capitalized : the personification of a guiding genius or principal source of inspiration
an atmosphere in which the muse of serendipity is most likely to be wooed and won — Lamp
2. sometimes capitalized : the creative spirit of an individual
the situations that tempt his dramatic muse are strained, acute situations — Leslie Rees
pay the writing schools hard cash to liberate their muse — Edward Uhlan
3.
a. : a composer of songs or verse : poet
so may some gentle muse with lucky words favor my destined urn — John Milton
b. archaic : liberal arts ; especially : the creative arts — usually used in plural
his retirement … was to the last devoted to the muses — Connop Thirlwall
IV. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from muser to muse, play the bagpipe — more at muse I
1. : bagpipe
2. : the mouthpiece of a bagpipe
V. ˈmyüs, -üz
dialect England
variant of meuse