I. ˈməstē, -ti adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: must (IV) + -y
1.
a. : impaired by damp or mildew : moldy
musty relic
b. : tasting of mold
musty wine
c. : smelling of damp and decay : fusty
a pathetic air of dilapidation … and a musty , shut-up smell — George du Maurier
2.
a. : trite , dull , stale
the proverb is something musty — Shakespeare
b. : antiquated , superannuated
musty statute
a musty clerk on a high stool
II. intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-es )
obsolete : to become musty