v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Amused p. pr. & vb. n. Amusing. ] [ F. amuser to make stay, to detain, to amuse, à (L. ad) + OF. muser. See Muse, v. ] 1. To occupy or engage the attention of; to lose in deep thought; to absorb; also, to distract; to bewilder. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Camillus set upon the Gauls when they were amused in receiving their gold. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

Being amused with grief, fear, and fright, he could not find the house. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To entertain or occupy in a pleasant manner; to stir with pleasing or mirthful emotions; to divert. [ 1913 Webster ]

A group of children amusing themselves with pushing stones from the top [ of the cliff ], and watching as they plunged into the lake. Gilpin. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To keep in expectation; to beguile; to delude. [ 1913 Webster ]

He amused his followers with idle promises. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To entertain; gratify; please; divert; beguile; deceive; occupy. -- To Amuse, Divert, Entertain. We are amused by that which occupies us lightly and pleasantly. We are entertained by that which brings our minds into agreeable contact with others, as conversation, or a book. We are diverted by that which turns off our thoughts to something of livelier interest, especially of a sportive nature, as a humorous story, or a laughable incident. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whatever amuses serves to kill time, to lull the faculties, and to banish reflection. Whatever entertains usually awakens the understanding or gratifies the fancy. Whatever diverts is lively in its nature, and sometimes tumultuous in its effects. Crabb. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To muse; to mediate. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Diverted. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Expressing amusement; as, an amused look. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. amusement. ] 1. Deep thought; muse. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Here I . . . fell into a strong and deep amusement, revolving in my mind, with great perplexity, the amazing change of our affairs. Fleetwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of being amused; pleasurable excitement; that which amuses; diversion. [ 1913 Webster ]

His favorite amusements were architecture and gardening. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Diversion; entertainment; recreation; relaxation; pastime; sport. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who amuses. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. ] A light field cannon, or stocked gun mounted on a swivel. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To muddle, daze, or partially stupefy, as with liquor. [ 1913 Webster ]

A parson much bemused in beer. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. ] A wind instrument nearly identical with the bagpipe. Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A cornemuse. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The roebuck in its third year. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Find a hare without a muse. Old Prov. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. Muse, L. Musa, Gr. &unr_;. Cf. Mosaic, n., 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

Granville commands; your aid, O Muses, bring:
What Muse for Granville can refuse to sing? Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ 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). [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A particular power and practice of poetry; the inspirational genius of a poet. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A poet; a bard. [ R. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. 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, n. ] 1. To think closely; to study in silence; to meditate. “Thereon mused he.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

He mused upon some dangerous plot. Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To wonder. [ Obs. ] Spenser. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To consider; meditate; ruminate. See Ponder. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To think on; to meditate on. [ 1913 Webster ]

Come, then, expressive Silence, muse his praise. Thomson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To wonder at. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Contemplation which abstracts the mind from passing scenes; absorbing thought; hence, absence of mind; a brown study. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Wonder, or admiration. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Meditative; thoughtfully silent. “Museful mopings.” Dryden. -- Muse"ful*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

a. Unregardful of the Muses; disregarding the power of poetry; unpoetical. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who muses. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. mussette, dim. of musse, muce, a hiding place, fr. F. musser, OF. mucier, muchier, to conceal, hide. Cf. Micher. ] A small hole or gap through which a wild animal passes; a muse. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., dim. of OF. muse. ] 1. A small bagpipe formerly in use, having a soft and sweet tone. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An air adapted to this instrument; also, a kind of rustic dance. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., a temple of the Muses, hence, a place of study, fr. Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; a Muse. ] A repository or a collection of natural, scientific, or literary curiosities, or of works of art. [ 1913 Webster ]

Museum beetle,
Museum pest. (Zool.) See Anthrenus. [ 1913 Webster ]