Mu*se"um (?), n. [L., a temple of the Muses, hence, a place of study,
fr. Gr. &?;, fr. &?; a Muse.] A repository or a collection of natural,
scientific, or literary curiosities, or of works of art.
Museum beetle, Museum pest. (Zoöl.) See Anthrenus.
Mush (?), n. [Cf. Gael. mus, muss, pap, porridge, any thick preparation
of fruit, OHG. muos; akin to AS. & OS. ms food, and prob, to E. meat.
See Meat.] Meal (esp. Indian meal) boiled in water; hasty pudding;
supawn. [U.S.]
Mush, v. t. [Cf. F. moucheter to cut with small cuts.] To notch, cut,
or indent, as cloth, with a stamp.
Mush"room (?), n. [OE. muscheron, OF. mouscheron, F. mousseron; perhaps
fr. mousse moss, of German origin. See Moss.] 1. (Bot.) (a) An edible
fungus (Agaricus campestris), having a white stalk which bears a convex
or oven flattish expanded portion called the pileus. This is whitish
and silky or somewhat scaly above, and bears on the under side
radiating gills which are at first flesh-colored, but gradually become
brown. The plant grows in rich pastures and is proverbial for rapidity
of growth and shortness of duration. It has a pleasant smell, and is
largely used as food. It is also cultivated from spawn. (b) Any large
fungus, especially one of the genus Agaricus; a toadstool. Several
species are edible; but many are very poisonous.
2. One who rises suddenly from a low condition in life; an upstart.
Bacon.
Mush"room, a. 1. Of or pertaining to mushrooms; as, mushroom catchup.
2. Resembling mushrooms in rapidity of growth and shortness of
duration; short-lived; ephemerial; as, mushroom cities.
Mushroom anchor, an anchor shaped like a mushroom, capable of grasping
the ground in whatever way it falls. -- Mushroom coral (Zoöl.), any
coral of the genus Fungia. See Fungia. -- Mushroom spawn (Bot.), the
mycelium, or primary filamentous growth, of the mushroom; also, cakes
of earth and manure containing this growth, which are used for
propagation of the mushroom.
Mush"room-head`ed (?), a. (Bot.) Having a cylindrical body with a
convex head of larger diameter; having a head like that of a mushroom.
Mush"y (?), a. Soft like mush; figuratively, good-naturedly weak and
effusive; weakly sentimental.
She 's not mushy, but her heart is tender.
G. Eliot.
Mu"sic (?), n. [F. musique, fr. L. musica, Gr. &?; (sc. &?;), any art
over which the Muses presided, especially music, lyric poetry set and
sung to music, fr. &?; belonging to Muses or fine arts, fr. &?; Muse.]
1. The science and the art of tones, or musical sounds, i. e., sounds
of higher or lower pitch, begotten of uniform and synchronous
vibrations, as of a string at various degrees of tension; the science
of harmonical tones which treats of the principles of harmony, or the
properties, dependences, and relations of tones to each other; the art
of combining tones in a manner to please the ear.
Not all sounds are tones. Sounds may be unmusical and yet please the
ear. Music deals with tones, and with no other sounds. See Tone.
2. (a) Melody; a rhythmical and otherwise agreeable succession of
tones. (b) Harmony; an accordant combination of simultaneous tones.
3. The written and printed notation of a musical composition; the
score.