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Webster 1913 Edition

Muse

Muse

,
Noun.
[From F.
musse
. See
Muset
.]
A gap or hole in a hedge, hence, wall, or the like, through which a wild animal is accustomed to pass; a muset.
Find a hare without a
muse
.
Old Prov.

Muse

,
Noun.
[F.
Muse
, L.
Musa
, Gr. [GREEK]. Cf.
Mosaic
,
Noun.
,
Music
.]
1.
(Class. Myth.)
One of the nine goddesses, daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who presided over song and the different kinds of poetry, and also the arts and sciences; – often used in the plural. At one time certain other goddesses were considered as muses.
Granville commands; your aid, O Muses, bring:
What
Muse
for Granville can refuse to sing?
Pope.
☞ The names of the Muses and the arts they presided over were:
Calliope
(Epic poetry),
Clio
(History),
Erato
(Lyric poetry),
Euterpe
(music),
Melpomene
(Tragedy),
Polymnia
or
Polyhymnia
(religious music),
Terpsichore
(dance),
Thalia
(comedy), and
Urania
(astronomy).
2.
A particular power and practice of poetry; the inspirational genius of a poet.
Shak.
3.
A poet; a bard.
[R.]
Milton.

Muse

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Mused
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Musing
.]
[F.
muser
to loiter or trifle, orig., to stand with open mouth, fr. LL.
musus
,
morsus
, muzzle, snout, fr. L.
morsus
a biting, bite, fr.
mordere
to bite. See
Morsel
, and cf.
Amuse
,
Muzzle
,
Noun.
]
1.
To think closely; to study in silence; to meditate.
“Thereon mused he.”
Chaucer.
He
mused
upon some dangerous plot.
Sir P. Sidney.
2.
To be absent in mind; to be so occupied in study or contemplation as not to observe passing scenes or things present; to be in a brown study.
Daniel.
3.
To wonder.
[Obs.]
Spenser.
B. Jonson.
Syn. – To consider; meditate; ruminate. See
Ponder
.

Muse

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To think on; to meditate on.
Come, then, expressive Silence,
muse
his praise.
Thomson.
2.
To wonder at.
[Obs.]
Shak.

Muse

,
Noun.
1.
Contemplation which abstracts the mind from passing scenes; absorbing thought; hence, absence of mind; a brown study.
Milton.
2.
Wonder, or admiration.
[Obs.]
Spenser.

Webster 1828 Edition

Muse

MUSE

,
Noun.
s as z. [L. musa.]
1.
Properly, song; but in usage, the deity or power of poetry. Hence poets in modern times, as in ancient, invoke the aid of the Muse or Muses, or in other words,the genius of poetry.
Granville commands; your aid, O Muses, bring,
What Muse for Granville can refuse to sing?
2.
Deep thought; close attention or contemplation which abstracts the minds from passing scenes; hence sometimes, absence of mind.
As in great muse, no word to creature spake.
He was fill'd
With admiration and deep muse to hear
Of things so high and strange.

MUSE

,
Verb.
I.
s as z. [L. musso and mussito, to mutter or murmur, to demur, to be silent. The Greek signifies to press, or utter sound with the lips compressed. The latter verb belongs to a sound uttered through the nose or with close lips, or of the same family, L. mussitatio. The word then primarily denotes what we call humming, to hum, as persons do when idle, or alone and steadily occupied.]
1.
To ponder; to think closely; to study in silence.
He mused upon some dangerous plot.
I muse on the works of thy hands. Ps.143.
2.
To be absent in mind; to be so occupied in study or contemplation, as not to observe passing scenes or things present.
3.
To wonder.
Do not muse of me.

MUSE

,
Verb.
T.
To think on; to meditate on.

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