English

Noun

amuser ‎(plural amusers)

1. Someone who amuses.
2. (obsolete) One who diverts attention, usually to distract or bewilder, often for fraudulent purposes; hence a cheat, deceiver or thief.
3. (historical, early 19^th century) One of a class of rogues who carry snuff or dust in their pockets, which they throw into the eyes of people so as to enable their accomplices to rob them while pretending to help them.
   • 1993, Stella Cameron; Only by Your Touch, Harpercollins, page 88:

     He should have knowed better than to tangle with you, Miss Lindsay. Where did you learn to be an amuser, then?

   • 2002, various authors, Gangs of New York (film), Miramax Films, Entertainment Film Distributors:

     BOSS TWEED — No one important, necessarily. Average men will do. Back alley amusers with no affiliations.

   • 2013, Michelle Lovric; The Remedy, Bloomsbury, page 59:

     Valentine watches the bunch of amusers close around the politician, the leader already dipping into his pocket for the snuff to fling into the eyes of their victim.

Translations

Anagrams

• Maseru, Mauser

French

Etymology

From Middle French amuser ‎(“to amuse, divert, babble”), from Old French amuser ‎(“to stupefy, waste time, be lost in thought”), from a- + muser ‎(“to stare stupidly at, gape, wander, waste time, loiter, think carefully about, attend to”), of uncertain and obscure origin. Cognate with Occitan musa ‎(“idle waiting”), Italian musare ‎(“to gape idly about”). Possibly from Old French *mus ‎(“snout”) from Proto-Romance *mūsa ‎(“snout”) (—compare Medieval Latin mūsum ‎(“muzzle, snout”)), from Proto-Germanic *mū- ‎(“muzzle, snout”), from Proto-Indo-European *mū- ‎(“lips, muzzle”). Compare German Maul ‎(“muzzle, snout”).

Alternative etymology connects Old French muser and Occitan musa with Old High German muoza ‎(“careful attention, leisure, idleness”), from Proto-Germanic *mōtǭ ‎(“leave, permission”), from Proto-Indo-European *med- ‎(“to acquire, possess, control”). Compare also Old High German muozōn ‎(“to be idle, have leisure or opportunity”), German Musse ‎(“leisure”). More at empty.

Pronunciation

Verb

amuser

1. (transitive) to amuse, to entertain
2. (reflexive, s'amuser) to have fun, to enjoy oneself

Conjugation

Derived terms

• amusant
• amusement
• amuse-gueule
• amusette
• amuseur

Descendants

• German: amüsieren

Anagrams

• masure, Maures, maures, mesura, mueras, musera, remuas, résuma, ruâmes

Norman

Alternative forms

• (Saint Ouen) amûther

Etymology

From Old French amuser ‎(“to stupefy, waste time, be lost in thought”), from a- + muser ‎(“to stare stupidly at, gape, wander, waste time, loiter, think carefully about, attend to”), of uncertain and obscure origin.

Verb

amuser

1. (Jersey) This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.