muse

muse¹ [mju:z] v

[Date: 1300-1400; : Old French; Origin: muser, from muse 'mouth of an animal'; MUZZLE¹]

1.) [T]

to say something in a way that shows you are thinking about it carefully

▪ 'Somewhere,' he mused, 'I've heard your name before.'

2.)

to think about something for a long time

muse on/over/about/upon

▪ He mused on how different his life would have been, had he not met Louisa.

>musing[i] n [U and C]

▪ her gloomy musings

>musingly adv

muse ²

muse² n

[Date: 1300-1400; : French; Origin: Latin Musa, from Greek Mousa]

1.) someone's muse is the force or person that makes them want to write, paint, or make music, and helps them to have good ideas

= ↑inspiration

▪ Rossetti's wife and creative muse

2.) also Muse

one of the nine ancient Greek goddesses who each represented a particular art or science

▪ the Muse of History