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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

muss en · NOUN · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /mʌs/
  • /mʊs/ (Northern-England)
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Related to mess (“disorder”).

Meanings

  1. A mess (disagreeable mixture or confusion of things; disorder).
  2. (obsolete) A scramble, as when small objects are thrown down, to be taken by those who can seize them; a confused struggle.
    • Authority melts from me: of late, when I cried 'Ho!' like boys unto a muss, kings would start forth, and cry 'Your will?' Have you no ears? I am Antony yet. c. 1606–1607 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
    • Gods so! a muss, a muss, a muss, a muss. 1614 November 10 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), Beniamin Iohnson [i.e., Ben Jonson], Bartholmew Fayre: A Comedie, […], London: […] I[ohn] B[eale] for Robert Allot, […], published 1631, →OCLC, (please specify the page):

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
musses Number=Plur lexicographic

muss en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /mʌs/
  • /mʊs/ (Northern-England)
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Related to mess (“disorder”).

Meanings

  1. (transitive) To rumple, tousle or make (something) untidy.
    • The old man affectionately mussed his grandson's hair.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
mussed Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
mussed Tense=Past lexicographic
mussing Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
musses Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic

Deriveds

mussy · muss up · mussable

Translations (11)

de durcheinander bringen (rumple) · eo taŭzi (rumple) · pl czochrać (rumple) · ru взъерошить (rumple) · cs rozčepýřit (rumple) · ru пу́тать (rumple) · ru растрепать (rumple) · bg разхвърлям (rumple) · fi sotkea (rumple) · cs rozcuchat (rumple) · cs podrbat (vlasy) (rumple)

muss en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • /mʌs/
  • /mʊs/ (Northern-England)
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Compare Middle English mus (“a mouse”). See mouse.

Meanings

  1. (obsolete) A term of endearment.

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
musses Number=Plur lexicographic

Translations (1)

fi mussukka (term of endearment)