I. ˈməstə(r) verb
( mustered ; mustered ; mustering -t(ə)riŋ ; musters )
Etymology: Middle English mostren, mustren to show, muster, from Old French mostrer, monstrer, moustrer, from Latin monstrare to show, point out, from monstrum evil omen, monster, monstrosity, marvel — more at monster
transitive verb
1.
a. : enlist , enroll
had been … mustered as surgeon's mate — Tobias Smollett
— used chiefly with in or into
the army musters in recruits
a businessman recently mustered into government service — New Yorker
b.
(1) : to cause to gather : convene , assemble
all hands were mustered aft for watches to be told off — H.A.Chippendale
mustered the ladies together and urged them into another room — Maurice Cranston
did not muster much of a crowd — Ben Riker
(2) Australia : round up
went up into the reserve to muster our stock — F.S.Anthony
c. : to call the roll of
fell out on deck and the mate mustered the ship's company
2.
a. : to bring together : collect , accumulate
muster a few pounds to buy some seed corn — Adrian Bell
mustered shirts and socks and neckties from his chest of drawers — Richard Blaker
could only muster … two hundred votes — E.H.Collis
b. : to call forth : develop , invoke : work up
couldn't muster courage to pop the question — Agnes S. Turnbull
have to muster the right words as well as the midnight courage — E.B.White
as soon as sufficient public support can be mustered — Chester Bowles
— often used with up
cannot muster up much sympathy for the … privations which he endured — W.E.Channing
3. : to amount to : comprise , include , number
the book-reading public musters 55 percent of the population — J.D.Adams
the senior program … mustered 123,299 students — Americana Annual
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to come together : congregate , forgather
thirty thousand men … were to muster in the disguise of pilgrims — T.B.Macaulay
b. obsolete : gather
vapors … drawn from the sea to muster in the skies — Richard Blackmore
2. Australia : to conduct a roundup of livestock
mustered in March this year on account of the late season and drove the stock down … in April — Nevil Shute
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English mustre, moustre, from Middle French mostre, monstre, moustre, from mostrer, monstrer, moustrer, v.
1. : a representative specimen : sample
musters of goods for sale, in reasonable quantities — Tariffs of Foreign Countries
2. obsolete : presentation , display
begin to make some muster and show of their learning — Richard Mulcaster
3.
a.
(1) : an act of assembling for enumeration or inspection
the boys in the squad room sat around between musters — Seymour Ettman
(2) : an act or process of critical examination
slipshod work that would never pass muster
specifically : formal military inspection
call out the troops to stand muster
b. : a competitive demonstration
eleven hand tub fire pumpers … have entered the Riverside Park Championship Fireman's muster — Springfield (Massachusetts) Daily News
c. Australia : roundup — compare camp 1d
d.
(1) : an assembled group : accumulation , gathering
a muster of biographical facts — Time
last week's muster of the heads of … governments — R.H.Rovere
(2) of peacocks : flock
e. : inventory , roster ; especially : muster roll
were sent … to take the musters of this expedition — G.R.Elton