MUSCHELKALK, mush'el-kalk, _n._ the middle member of the Triassic system as
developed in Germany, consisting chiefly of limestone--wanting in Britain.
[Ger. _muschel_, shell, _kalk_, lime.]
MUSCHETOR, mus'che-tor, _n._ (_her._) a black spot like an ermine spot, but
without its three specks.--Also MUS'CHETOUR. [O. Fr.,--L. _musca_, a fly.]
MUSCLE, mus'l, _n._ an animal tissue consisting of bundles of fibres
through whose contractility bodily movement is effected, the fibres of the
_voluntary_ muscles being striped, those of the _involuntary_ (of
intestinal canal, blood-vessels, and of skin) unstriped.--_adj._ MUS'CLED,
supplied with muscles.--_ns._ MUS'CLE-READ'ING, the interpretation of
slight involuntary muscular movements; MUS'CLING, the delineation of
muscles, as in a picture; MUSCUL[=A]'TION, the arrangement of muscles of a
body; MUSCULOS'ITY.--_adj._ MUS'CULOUS, pertaining to muscle: full of
muscles, strong. [Fr.,--L. _musculus_, dim. of _mus_, a mouse, a muscle.]
MUSCOID, mus'koid, _adj._ (_bot._) moss-like.--_n._ a moss-like, flowerless
plant.--_ns._ MUSCOL'OGIST, one skilled in muscology; MUSCOL'OGY, the part
of botany which treats of mosses; MUSCOS'ITY, mossiness. [L. _muscus_,
moss, Gr. _eidos_, form.]
MUSCOVADO, mus-k[=o]-v[=a]'do, _n._ the moist, dark-coloured impure sugar
left after evaporating the juice from the sugar-cane and draining off the
molasses, unrefined sugar. [Sp. _moscabado_.]
MUSCOVITE, mus'co-v[=i]t, _n._ a native or an inhabitant of _Moscow_, or of
Russia: the desman or Muscovitic rat: (_min._) potash mica, a silicate of
alumina and potash, yellowish, brownish, or greenish, with pearly or almost
metallic lustre, its thin transparent plates still used as glass--also
MUSCOVY GLASS.--_adj._ of or pertaining to Moscow or to Russia--also
MUSCOVIT'IC.--_n._ MUS'COVY-DUCK (see MUSK).
MUSCULAR, mus'k[=u]-lar, _adj._ pertaining to a muscle: consisting of
muscles: having strong muscles: brawny: strong: vigorous.--_n._
MUSCULAR'ITY, state of being muscular.--_adv._ MUS'CULARLY.--_adjs._
MUSCULOCUT[=A]'NEOUS, muscular and cutaneous--of certain nerves;
MUS'CULOUS, sinewy.--MUSCULAR CHRISTIANITY, a phrase humorously applied to
that vigorous combination of Christian living with devotion to athletic
enjoyments associated with Charles Kingsley and his admirers (the name was,
however, repudiated by him); MUSCULAR EXCITABILITY, the contracting
property of a muscle; MUSCULAR PILE, a voltaic battery employed in
biological experiments; MUSCULAR SYSTEM, the whole of the muscular tissue
of a body.
MUSE, m[=u]z, _v.i._ to study in silence: to be absent-minded: to
meditate.--_n._ deep thought: contemplation: absence of mind: the inspiring
power, as of a poet.--_adj._ MUSED, bemused, muzzy, fuddled.--_n._
MUS'ER.--_adv._ MUS'INGLY. [Fr. _muser_, to loiter (It. _musare_); acc. to
Diez and Skeat, from O. Fr. _muse_ (Fr. _museau_), the snout of an animal.
Others explain Fr. _muser_ as from Low L. _muss[=a]re_--L. _muss[=a]re_, to
murmur.]
MUSE, m[=u]z, _n._ one of the nine goddesses of poetry, music, and the
other liberal arts--daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne: an inspiring poetic
inspiration: (_Milt._) an inspired poet.--Names of the Muses:--CALLIOPE, of
epic poetry; CLIO, of history; ERATO, of amatory poetry; EUTERPE, of lyric
poetry; MELPOMENE, of tragedy; POLYHYMNIA, of lyric poetry and eloquence;
TERPSICHORE, of dancing; THALIA, of comedy; URANIA, of astronomy. [Fr.,--L.
_musa_--Gr. _mousa_.]
MUSET, m[=u]z'et, _n._ (_Shak._) a gap in a fence or thicket through which
an animal passes.
MUSETTE, m[=u]-zet', _n._ a small oboe: an old French bagpipe: a simple
pastoral melody.
MUSEUM, m[=u]-z[=e]'um, _n._ a collection of natural, scientific, or other
curiosities, or of works of art.--_ns._ MUSEOL'OGY, the science of
arranging--MUSEOG'RAPHY, of describing, museums. [L.,--Gr. _mouseion_; cf.
_Muse_.]
MUSH, mush, _n._ meal boiled in water, esp. Indian meal: anything
pulpy.--_adj._ MUSH'Y, soft, pulpy. [Prob. _mash_.]
MUSH, mush, _v.t._ to notch, a dress-fabric ornamentally at the side with a
stamp. [Prob. a form of _mesh_.]
MUSHED, musht, _adj._ (_prov._) worn out, exhausted.
MUSHROOM, mush'r[=oo]m, _n._ the common name of certain fungi, esp. such as
are edible: (_fig._) one who rises suddenly from a low condition: an
upstart.--_n._ Mush'ROOM-SPAWN, the substance in which the reproductive
mycelium of the mushroom is embodied. [O. Fr. _mousseron_, through
_mousse_, moss--Old High Ger. _mos_ (Ger. _moos_, moss).]
MUSIC, m[=u]'zik, _n._ a connected series of sweet sounds: melody or
harmony: the science which treats of harmony: the art of combining sounds
so as to please the ear: a musical composition: (_U.S._) heated argument,
also amusement.--_adj._ M[=U]'SICAL, pertaining to, or producing, music:
pleasing to the ear: melodious.--_adv._ M[=U]'SICALLLY.--_ns._
M[=U]'SICALNESS; M[=U]'SIC-CASE, -F[=O]'LIO, -HOLD'ER, &c., a roll,
cabinet, &c. for carrying sheet music; M[=U]'SIC-DEMY', a size of
writing-paper, 20¾ in. × 14-3/8 in.; M[=U]'SIC-HALL, a public hall for
musical entertainments, esp. when varied by dancing, variety performances,
&c., often with concomitant smoking and drinking; M[=U]'SIC-HOUSE, a place
for public musical entertainments: a firm dealing in music or musical
instruments; MUSI'CIAN, one skilled in music: a performer of
music--(_obs._) MUSI'CIANER.--_adv._ MUSI'CIANLY.--_ns._ MUSI'CIANSHIP;
M[=U]'SIC-MAS'TER, or -MIS'TRESS, a man or a woman who teaches music;
M[=U]'SIC-OF-THE-SPHERES (see HARMONY); M[=U]'SIC-P[=A]'PER, paper ruled
with staffs for writing music in; M[=U]'SIC-PEN, a pen marking at once a
series of fine parallel lines for music; M[=U]'SIC-RACK, a rack attached to
a musical instrument for holding the player's music; M[=U]'SIC-RECORD'ER, a
device for recording music as played on an organ, pianoforte, &c.;
M[=U]'SIC-SCHOOL, a place where music is regularly taught, a conservatory;
M[=U]'SIC-SHELL, a Gasteropod of the Caribbean Sea, marked with figures
like printed music; M[=U]'SIC-STAND, a music-rack: a raised platform for a
musical band; M[=U]'SIC-STOOL, a stool or chair, generally adjustable in
height, for the performer on the pianoforte, &c.; M[=U]'SIC-WIRE, wire such
as the strings of musical instruments are made of.--MUSIC (-AL) BOX, a case
containing a mechanism contrived, when the spring is wound up, to reproduce
melodies; MUSIC CLUB, a meeting for practising music.--MUSICAL DIRECTOR,
the conductor of an orchestra, &c.; MUSICAL GLASSES (see HARMONICA, under
HARMONIUM). [Fr. _musique_--L. _musica_--Gr. _mousik[=e]_ (_techn[=e]_,
art), _mousa_, a muse.]
MUSIMON, m[=u]'si-mon, _n._ the moufflon.--Also MUS'MON.
MUSING, m[=u]z'ing, _n._ the act of one who muses: contemplation:
meditation.--_adj._ meditative, preoccupied.--_adv._ MUS'INGLY.
MUSIVE, m[=u]'siv, _adj._ Same as MOSAIC.
MUSK, musk, _n._ a strong perfume, obtained from the male musk-deer, or the
odour thereof: a hornless deer, in Tibet and Nepaul, yielding musk.--_v.t._
to perfume with musk.--_ns._ MUSK (_bot._), a name given to a number of
plants which smell more or less strongly of musk; MUSK'-BAG, -BALL, a bag,
ball, containing musk as a perfuming sachet; MUSK'-CAT, a civet-cat: a
scented effeminate dandy; MUSK'-C[=A]V'Y, a West Indian echimyine rat-like
rodent; MUSK'-DEER, a hornless deer, native of Central Asia, which produces
the perfume called musk; MUSK'-DUCK, the Muscovy-duck, so called from its
musky odour; MUSK'-GLAND, a skin-pit in mammals producing a secretion with
a musky odour, esp. in the male musk-deer and male beaver.--_adv._
MUSK'ILY.--_ns._ MUSK'INESS; MUSK'-MALL'OW, an ornamental species of
mallow, with faint odour of musk; MUSK'-MELON, the juicy edible fruit of a
trailing herb (_Cucumis melo_), or the plant; MUSK'-OX, a ruminant of
arctic America, with long smooth hair, its horns meeting in a shield over
the forehead, exhaling a strong musky smell; MUSK'-PEAR, a fragrant variety
of pear; MUSK'-PLUM, a fragrant kind of plum; MUSK'-RAT, a North American
aquatic, arvicoline, rat-like rodent, yielding a valuable fur, and
secreting in its gland a substance with a musky smell--also MUS'QUASH;
MUSK'-ROSE, a fragrant species of rose.--_adj._ MUSK'Y, having the odour of
musk. [Fr. _musc_--L. _muscus_, Gr. _moschos_--Pers. _musk_--Sans.
_mushka_, a testicle.]
MUSKET, mus'ket, _n._ any kind of smooth-bore military hand-gun: a male
sparrow-hawk.--_ns._ MUSKETEER', a soldier armed with a musket; MUSKETOON',
MUSQUETOON', a short musket: one armed with a musketoon.--_adj._
MUS'KET-PROOF, capable of resisting the force of a musket-ball.--_ns._
MUS'KET-REST, a fork used as a support for the heavy 16th-century
musket--also _Croc_; MUS'KETRY, muskets in general; practice with muskets:
a body of troops armed with muskets; MUS'KET-SHOT, the discharge of a
musket, the reach of a musket. [O. Fr. _mousquet_, a musket, formerly a
hawk--It. _mosquetto_--L. _musca_, a fly.]
MUSLIM, mus'lim, _n._ and _adj._ Same as MOSLEM.
MUSLIN, muz'lin, _n._ a fine soft cotton fabric resembling gauze in
appearance, but woven plain without any looping of the warp threads on the
weft--generally uncoloured: a coarser fabric than Indian muslin, printed
with coloured patterns, &c.: (_U.S._) cotton cloth for shirts, bedding,
&c.: a collector's name for several different moths.--_adj._ made of
muslin.--_adj._ MUS'LINED, clothed with muslin.--_ns._ MUS'LINET, a coarse
kind of muslin; MUS'LIN-KALE (_Scot._), thin broth made without meat. [Fr.
_mousseline_--It. _mussolino_, from _Mosul_ in Mesopotamia.]