Some discontents there are, some idle murmurs. Dryden. Murmur (mér'mèr), v.i. [Fr. murmurer, L. murmurare. See the noun.] 1. To make a low continued noise, like the hum of bees, a stream of water, rolling waves, or like the wind in a forest. The murmuring surge.' Shak.

The forests murmur and the surges roar. Pope. 2. To grumble; to complain; to utter complaints in a low, half-articulated voice; to utter sullen discontent: with at before the thing which is the cause of discontent; as, murmur not at sickness: or with at or against before the active agent which produces the evil.

John vi. 41. The Jews then murmured at him. The people murmured against Moses. Ex, xv. 22. Murmur at nothing. If your ills are reparable it is ungrateful, if remediless it is vain. Colton.

3. To utter words indistinctly; to mutter. To utter indisMurmur (mér mér), v. t. tinctly; to say in a low indistinct voice; to

mutter.

I heard thee murmur tales of iron wars. Shak. Murmuration (mér-mer-a'shon), n. Act of murmuring; murmur. Skelton." [Rare.] Murmurer (mér mér-ér), n. One who murmurs; one who complains sullenly; a grumbler. Murmuring (mér mér-ing), p. and a. 1. Making or consisting in a low continued noise. Where rivulets dance their wayward round And beauty born of murmuring sound

Shall pass into her face. Wordsworth. 2. Uttering complaints in a low voice or sullen manner; grumbling; complaining; as, a person of a murmuring disposition. Murmuring (mér mér-ing), n. A continued murmur; a low confused noise. As when you hear the murmuring of a throng.' Dray

ton.

Murmuringly (mér mér-ing-li), adv. With murmurs; with complaints.

Murmurous (mér mér-us), a. 1. Exciting murmur or complaint.

Round his swoln heart the murmurous fury rolls. Pope. 2. Attended or characterized by murmurs; murmuring.

And all about the large lime feathers low,
The lime, a summer home of murmurous wings.
Tennyson.
With

Murmurously (mér'mėr-us-li), adv.

a low, monotonous sound; with murmurs. The river, just escaping from the weight Of that intolerable glory, ran In acquiescent shadow murmurously. E. B. Browning. Murnival (mur'ni-val). See MOURNIVAL. Murr (mer), n. [Probably abbrev. from murrain.] An epizootic disease, having some resemblance to small-pox, which affects cattle and sheep, and is said to have been transferred to man. Dunglison.

Murr (mer), v.i. To purr as a cat. Hogg. [Scotch.]

Murrain (mur'an), n. [0. Fr. morine, mortality among cattle; It. moria, a pestilence among cattle; from L. morior, to die.] A term loosely applied to a variety of diseases affecting domestic animals, especially cattle; a cattle plague or epizootic disease of any kind; in a more limited sense, the same as foot-and-mouth disease (which see).

This plague of murrain continued twenty-eight years ere it ended, and was the first rot that ever was in England. Stow. -Murrain take you, murrain to you, &c., plague take you, plague upon you.

Shak.

A murrain on your monster! Stand back, Jack peasant, with a murrain to you, and let these knave footmen do their duty

Sir W. Scott.

Murrain (mur'ān), a. Affected with mur

rain.

The fold stands empty in the drowned field,
And crows are fatted with the murrain flock.
Shak.

Murre (mur), n. A kind of bird; the razor

bill.

Murrent (mur'en), n. Same as Murrain. Milton.

Murrey (muri), a. [0. Fr. morée, a dark-red colour, from L. morum, a mulberry.] 1. Of a dark-red colour.

Leaves of some trees turn a little murrey or red. dish.

Bacon.

225

2. In her. a term applied to one of the colours or tinctures employed in blazonry. It is reckoned a dishonourable colour, and rarely to be met with in English coats of arms. Called also Sanguine. Murrhine (mur'in), a. [L. murrhinus, from murrha, a material, supposed to be fluorspar, of which costly vessels were made.] An epithet given to a delicate kind of ware, made of fluor-spar or fluoride of calcium, brought from the East, Pliny says from Carmania, now Kerman, in Persia. Vases of this ware were used in Rome as wine-cups, and were believed to have the quality of breaking if poison were mixed with the liquor they contained. Called also Myrrhine, Myrrhite.

Murrion (mur'i-on), n. A morion (which see).

Murry (mur'i), n. A popular name of the Muræna (Muræna helena).

Murther (mer THer). See Murder. Murza (měr za), n. The hereditary nobility among the Tatars. [The word must not be confounded with the Persian mirza, though of the same origin.]

Mus (mus), n. [L.] A genus of rodent animals, including the rats and mice. Musa (mu'sa), n. [From mauz, the Egyptian name.] A genus of plants, the type of the nat. order Musacer. To this genus belong the banana and plantain. See MUSACEÆ. Musaceæ (mú-sa'sē-e), n. pl. A nat. order of endogens, of which the important genus Musa is the type. They are beautiful, often gigantic herbaceous plants, with large bracts or spathes which are usually coloured of some gay tint, having irregular unisexual flowers, a six-parted perianth, six stamens, and two-celled anthers. They are natives of warm and tropical regions. They are most valuable plants both for the abundance of nutritive food afforded by their fruit, and for the many domestic purposes to which the gigantic leaves of some species are applied, as the thatching of Indian cottages, making cloth, baskets, &c. The fruit of the M. sapientum or banana is eaten to a prodigious extent by the inhabitants of the torrid zone, as also is that of M. paradisaica or plantain. The musas are remarkable for the quantity of fibrous tissue pervading their leaf-stalks, which is capable of being employed for weaving purposes, paper-making, &c. Manilla hemp is yielded by M. textilis. See BANANA.

Musaceous (mũ-sā'shus), a. In bot. of or relating to the Musacea.

Musal (mü'zal), a. Relating to the Muses or poetry; poetical. Eclec. Rev. [Rare.] Musalchee (mus-al'che), n. The Hindu name for a torch-bearer. Musalchees, or torch-bearers, who ran by the side of the palkees.' W. H. Russell.

·

Musaph (mus-af'), n. The name given by the Turks to the book containing their law. Musart (muz'ar), n. An itinerant musician who played on the musette; a bagpiper. Musardt (my'särd), n. [Fr. See MUSE.] A dreamer; one who is apt to be absent in mind.

Musca (mus'ka), n. [L., a fly.] 1. A Linnean genus of dipterous insects, including the flies. It is now expanded into a family (Muscida).-2. A modern southern constellation, situated between the Southern Cross and the south pole. It consists of six stars. Muscadel, Muscadine (mus'ka-del, mus'ka-din), n. [Fr. moscatelle, from L. L. muscatus, smelling like musk. See MUSK.] 1. The name given to several kinds of sweet and strong Italian and French wines, whether white or red.

He calls for wine.. quaff'd off the muscadel,
And threw the sops all in the sexton's face.

Shak.

MUSCICAPIDE

of small, often dark blue flowers. M. racemosum is the grape-hyacinth, a native of Britain.

Muscariform (mus-kar'i-form), a. [L. muscarium, a fly-brush, and forma, form.] Having the shape of a brush; brush-shaped. In bot. furnished with long hairs towards one end of a slender body, as the style and stigma of many composites.

Muscat, Muscatel (mus'kat, mus'ka-tel), n. Same as Muscadel.

Muschelkalk (mush'el-kalk), n. [G.muschel, shell, and kalk, lime or chalk.] A compact hard limestone, of a grayish colour, found in Germany. It is interposed between the Bunter sandstone, on which it rests, and the Keuper variegated marls, which lie over it and with which at the junction it alternates, forming the middle member of the triassic system as it occurs in Germany. It abounds in organic remains, its chief fossils being the lily encrinite, ammonite, and terebratula.

Muschetor, Muschetour (mus'che-tor, mus'che-tör), n. [O. Fr. mouscheture, Mod. Fr. moucheture, from 0. Fr. mouscheter, to spot, from mousche (Modern Fr. mouche), a fly, a spot, from L. musca, a fly.] In her. one of those black spots, resembling the end of the ermine's tail, which are painted without the three specks over them used in depicting ermine.

Muschetors.

Musci (mus'i), n. pl. [L. muscus, moss.] The mosses; a group of cryptogamic or flowerless plants of considerable extent, and of great interest on account of their very singular structure. They are in all cases of small size, never exceeding a few inches in height, but having a distinct axis of vegetation, or stem covered with leaves; and are propagated by means of reproductive apparatus of a peculiar nature. They are formed entirely of cellular tissue, which in the stem is lengthened into tubes. Their reproductive organs are of two kinds-axillar, cylindrical, or fusiform bodies, containing minute roundish particles; and thecæ or capsules, supported upon a stalk or seta, covered with a calyptra, closed by an operculum or lid, within which is a peristome, composed of slender

h

Musci.

k

a, Pistillidia-supposed female organs. b, Antheridia-supposed male organs. c, Seta or stalk. d,Theca, urn or capsule (the swollen part underneath is the apophysis). e, Operculum. f. Peristome. g, Peristome single, that is, with one row of teeth. h, Peristome double, that is, with an outer and inner row of teeth., Calyptra. ik, Calyptra dimidiate. il, Calyptra mitriform.

processes named teeth, and having a central axis or columella, the space between which and the walls of the theca is filled with minute sporules. Mosses are found in cool, airy, and moist situations, in woods, upon the trunks of trees, on old walls, on the roofs of houses, &c. The genera of mosses, which are numerous, are principally characterized by peculiarities in the peristome, or by modifications of the calyptra, and of the position of the urn, or hollow in which the spores are lodged.

Muscicapa (mus-ik'a-pa), n. [L. musca, a fly, and capio, to take.] A genus of birds, containing the flycatchers proper. See FLY

CATCHER.

Muscicapidæ (mus-i-kap’i-dē),n. pl. [Muscicapa (which see), and Gr.eidos, resemblance.] The flycatchers, a family of insectivorous

w, wig; wh, whig; zh, azure.-See KEY.

MUSCIDE

birds, so named from their mode of taking their prey. See FLYCATCHER. Muscidæ (mus'i-dē), n. pl. [L. musca, a fly, and Gr. eidos, resemblance.] A family of dipterous insects, distinguished by having a proboscis distinct, short, thick, membranaceous, terminated by two large labial lobes, and entirely retractile within the oral cavity. The antennæ are triarticulate. The body is short and robust; the legs and wings are of moderate length, and the nerves extend to the posterior extremity of the wings. The insects of this family were for the most part included in the genus Musca, Linn., by the older authors. The common house-fly (M. domestica) is a familiar example of this family.

Musciformes (mus-i-for'mēz), n. pl. [L. musca, a fly, and forma, form.] The name of a tribe of dipterous insects of the family Tipulida (crane-flies), having a stout body and short legs, resembling the common flies.

Muscineæ (mus-sin'ē-ē), n. pl. Same as Muscales.

Muscite (mus'īt), n. A fossil plant of the moss family. Such have only been found in amber and certain fresh-water tertiary strata. Page.

Muscle (mus'l), n. [Fr. muscle, Pr. muscle, moscle, from L. musculus, a little mouse, a shell-fish, a muscle, dim. of mus, a mouseprobably from the appearance under the skin. Comp. G. maus, mouse, and muscle; Corn.logoden fer (lit. mouse of leg), calf of the leg; Fr. souris, a mouse, and formerly the brawn of the arm.] 1.A portion of an animal body, serving as an instrument of motion, and consisting of fibres or bundles of fibres, susceptible of contraction and relaxation, inclosed in a thin cellular membrane. Muscles are composed of fleshy and tendinous fibres, occasionally intermixed, but the tendinous fibres generally prevail at the extremities of the muscle, and the fleshy ones in the belly or middle part of it. When the fibres of a muscle are placed parallel to each other it is called a simple or rectilinear muscle; when they intersect and cross each other they are called compound. When muscles act in opposition to each other they are termed antagonist; when they concur in the same action they are called congenerous. The muscles are also divided into the volun

tary and the involuntary muscles, the former being those whose movements are influenced by the will, the latter those beyond this control, such as the muscles of the intestinal canal, the bladder, &c. When examined under the microscope it is found that the fibres of the former (as also those of the heart) are marked by minute transverse bars or stripes, while those of the latter are not so marked; hence also the classification into striped and unstriped muscles. See also MUSCULAR. - Hollow muscles, the heart, intestines, urinary bladder, &c.-2. A bivalvular shell-fish of the genus Mytilus. See MUSSEL. Muscle-band, Muscle-bind (mus'l-band, mus'l-bind), n. See MUSSEL-BAND. Muscled (mus'ld), a. Furnished with muscles; as, a strong-muscled man. Muscling (mus'ling), n. presentation of the muscles.

Exhibition or re

A good piece, the painters say, must have good muscling, as well as colouring and drapery. Shaftesbury. Muscoid (mus'koid), a. [L. muscus, moss, and Gr. eidos, resemblance.] In bot. mosslike; resembling moss. Muscoid (mus'koid), n. One of the mosses; a moss-like plant.

Muscology (mus-kol'o-ji), n. [L. muscus, a moss, and Gr. logos, a discourse.] In bot. that part of botany which investigates mosses; a discourse or treatise on mosses. Muscosity (mus-kos'i-ti), n. [L. muscosus, full of moss, from muscus, moss.] Mossiness. Muscovado (mus-kō-vā'do), n. or a. [Sp. mascabado, compounded of mas, more, and acabado, ended, finished, signifying further advanced in the process than when in syrup, or imperfectly finished; from acabar, to finish-a, to, and cabo, head, like Fr. achever, to achieve.] Unrefined sugar; the raw material from which loaf and lump sugar are procured by refining. Muscovado is obtained from the juice of the sugar-cane by evaporation and draining off the liquid part called molasses.

Muscovite (mus'kō-vit), n. 1. A native of Muscovy, or ancient Russia.-2. Muscovyglass (which see).

226

The

Muscovy-duck (mus'kō-vi-duk), n. musk-duck (which see). Muscovy-glass (mus'ko-vi-glas), n. Muscovite, a variety of mica brought from eastern Russia.

She were an excellent lady, but that her face Marston. peeled off like muscovy-glass.

Muscular (mus’kū-lér), a. [From muscle.] 1. Pertaining to, constituting, or consisting of muscles; as, muscular fibre or tissue, that species of tissue which forms the substance of muscles. The fibres which compose the body of a muscle appear under two forms the striated or striped, and the non-striated or unstriped. See MUSCLE. -Muscular impressions, the marks or indentations in certain molluscous shells which indicate the insertion of the muscles by which the animals are attached to them. 2. Performed by or dependent on muscles; as, muscular motion, which is of three kinds voluntary, involuntary, and mixed. The voluntary motions of the muscles are such as proceed from an immediate exertion of the will, as in raising or depressing the arm, bending the knee, moving the tongue, &c. The involuntary motions are those which are performed by organs without any attention of the mind, as the contraction and dilation of the heart, arteries, veins, absorbents, stomach, intestines, &c. The mixed motions are those which are in part under the control of the will, but which ordinarily act without our being conscious of their acting, as in the muscles of respiration and the diaphragm.-3. Having welldeveloped muscles; strong; brawny.

My Eustace might have sat for Hercules; So muscular he spread, so broad of breast. Tennyson. Hence 4. Applied to the mind, characterized by strength or vigour.

No mind becomes muscular without rude and early exercises. Lord Lytton.

Muscular Christianity, a phrase first used by Charles Kingsley to denote a healthy, robust, and cheerful religion, one that leads a person to take an active part in life, and does not frown upon harmless enjoyments, as opposed to a religion which is more contemplative, and neglects to a great extent the present life. Hence also the term Muscular Christian.

Muscularity (mus-kū-lar'i-ti), n. The state of being muscular. Muscularly (mus'ku-lêr-li), adv. In a muscular manner; strongly. Musculine (mus'kū-lin), n. principle of animal muscle; syntonin (which see). Musculite (mus'kü-līt), n. A petrified muscle

or shell.

An immediate

Musculo-cutaneous (mus'kü-lō-kü-ta'nēus), a. In anat. pertaining to or connected with the muscles and skin: said specifically of certain nerves.

Musculosity (mus-kū-los'i-ti), n. The quaMusculo-spiral (mus'kū-lō-spi-ral), a. lity of being musculous: muscularity. In anat. applied to a nerve constituting the largest branch of the brachial plexus. Called

also the Radial Nerve. Musculous (mus’kū-lus), a. [L. musculosus. See MUSCLE.] 1. Pertaining to a muscle or muscles. 2. Full of muscles; hence, strong; brawny. [Obsolete or obsolescent.]

They are musculous and strong beyond what their size gives reason for expecting. Johnson. Muse (mūz), n. [L. musa, from Gr. mousa, a muse, a fem. part. pres. of a verb meaning to invent, think, &c. Music, museum, mosaic are from this word.] 1. In the Greek myth. one of the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who were, according to the earliest writers, the inspiring goddesses of song, and according to later ideas divinities presiding over the different kinds of poetry, and over the sciences and arts. Their original number appears to have been three, but afterwards they are always spoken of as nine in number, viz.-Clio, the muse of history; Euterpē, the muse of lyric poetry; Thalia, the muse of comedy, and of merry or idyllic poetry; Melpomene, the muse of tragedy; Terpsichore, the muse of choral dance and song; Erato, the muse of erotic poetry and mimicry; Polymnia or Polyhymnia, the muse of the sublime hymn; Urania, the muse of astronomy; and Calliope, the muse of epic poetry. By modern poets muse is often used as a sort of conventional term for inspiring goddess, without special reference to the muses of classical literature.

Granville commands; your aid, O Muses, bring, What Muse for Granville can refuse to sing? Pope.

3. A writer of poetry; a bard. [Rare.]
So may some gentle muse,

With lucky words favour my destined urn;
And, as he passes, turn

And bid fair peace be to my sable shroud.
Millon.

Muse (mūz), v.i. pret. & pp. mused; ppr. musing. [Fr. muser, to muse, to dawdle, to loiter, from O. H.G. muoza, leisure, idleness, O.H.G. muozon, to be idle, G. musze, inactivity, leisure. From this comes amuse, with prefix a.] 1. To ponder; to think closely; to study in silence.

He mused upon some dangerous plot.
Sir P. Sidney.

I muse on the works of thy hands. Ps. cxliii. 5. 2. To be absent in mind; to be so occupied in thought or contemplation as not to observe passing scenes or things present. You suddenly arose and walked about, Musing and sighing with your arins across. Shak. 3. To wonder; to be amazed. 'Do not muse at me.' Shak.-4. To gaze. 'Him that in the water museth.' Romaunt of the Rose. SYN. To meditate, contemplate, ruminate, ponder, reflect.

Muse (müz), v. t. 1. To think on; to meditate on.
Come, then, expressive silence! muse his praise.
Thomson.
2. To wonder at.
I cannot too much muse
Such shapes, such gesture, and such sound. Shak.
Muse (müz), n. 1. Deep thought; absence
of mind; abstraction.

He was fill'd
With admiration and deep muse to hear
Of things so high and strange. Milton.

2. Surprise; wonderment.
Muset (müz), n. [O. Fr. musse, a little hole
or corner to hide things in, whence musser,
to hide.] 1. The opening in a fence or
thicket through which a hare or other beast
of sport is accustomed to pass. Called also
Muset and Musit. Watch the wild muse of
a boar.' Chapman.

'Tis as hard to find a hare without a muse as a woman without a scuse. Greene.

2. A loop-hole; a means of escape. 'Enter your muse quick.' Beau. & Fl.

For these words still left a muse for the people to escape. N.Bacon.

Mused (müzd), a. Overcome with liquor; bemused; muzzy. Tennyson. Museful (müz'ful), a. Thinking deeply or

closely; thoughtful. Dryden. Musefully (muz'ful-li), adv. In a museful manner; thoughtfully. Museless (muz'les), a. Without a muse; disregarding the power of poetry.

Museless and unbookish they were,minding nothing but the feats of war.

Milton.

Museographist (mu-zē-og'ra-fist), n. [Gr. mouseion, the temple of the Muses, and graphō, to write. ] One who describes or classifies the objects in a museum. Muser (müz'èr), n. One who muses; one lost in thought; one apt to be absent in mind.

Muse-rid (mūz'rid), a. Possessed or actuated by poetical enthusiasm. 'No meagre, muse-rid mope, adust and thin.' Pope. Muset (mü'zet), n. [O. Fr. mussette, dim. of musse, a muset or muse.] An opening in a hedge or other fence; a muse. Musette (mu-zet'), n. [Fr., dim. of 0. Fr. muse, a pipe.] 1. A small bagpipe formerly much used.-2. The name of a melody, of a soft and sweet character, written in imitation of the bagpipe tunes. 3. A name given to dance tunes and dances in the measure of musette melodies.-4. A reed stop on an organ. Museum (mu-zē'um), n. [L., from Gr. mouseion, a place for the Muses or for study, from mousa, a muse. (See MUSE.) A hill in ancient Athens, opposite the Acropolis, was called the Museum, because a temple long stood there dedicated to the Muses.] A building or apartment appropriated as a repository of things that have an immediate relation to literature, art, or science; a cabinet of curiosities; a collection of objects in natural history. Of the museums of Britain the British Museum is the greatest; that of Oxford, founded in 1679, is the oldest. Museums illustrative of the industrial arts, though of recent origin, are of great importForemost among institutions of this kind in Britain may be instanced the South Kensington Museum and the Museum of

ance.

MUSH

Science and Art in Edinburgh. On the Continent galleries of pictures are considered as within the meaning of the general term

museum.

Mush (mush), n. [G. mus, pap.] The meal of maize boiled in water. [American.] Mush (mush), v. t. and i To nick or notch dress fabrics round the edges with a stamp, for ornament. Mushroom (mush'röm), n. [Fr. mousseron, the white mushroom, from mousse, moss. See Moss.] 1. The common name of numerous cryptogamic plants of the nat. order of Fungi. Some of them are edible, others poisonous. The species of mushroom usually cultivated is the Agaricus campestris, or eatable agaric, well known for its excellence as an ingredient in sauces. Mushrooms are found in all parts of the world, and are usually of very rapid growth. In some cases they form a staple article of food. In Tierra del Fuego the natives live almost entirely on a mushroom, Cyttaria Darwinii, and in Australia many species of Boletus are used by the natives, and the Mylitta australis is commonly called native bread.-Mushroom spawn, a term applied to the substance in which the reproductive mycelium of the mushroom is embodied.-2. An upstart; one that rises suddenly from a low condition in life.

Such as are upstarts in state they call in reproach mushrooms. Bacon.

Mushroom (mush'röm), a. 1. Pertaining to mushrooms; made of mushrooms.-2. Resembling mushrooms in rapidity of growth; ephemeral; of a transitory nature.

Here clearly was some mushroom usurper who had bought out the sold simple hospitable family. Lord Lytton. Mushroom-anchor (mush'röm-ang"ker), n. An anchor with a central shank and mushroom-shaped head, which grasps the soil however it may happen to fall. Mushroom-catsup, Mushroom-ketchup (mush'röm-kat-sup, mush'róm-kech-up), n. A sauce for meats, &c., consisting of the juice of mushrooms salted and flavoured with spices.

Mushroom-headed (mush'röm-hed-ed), a.
Having a head like a mushroom.
Mushroom-spawn (mush'röm-span), n.
See under MUSHROOM.
Mushroom-stone (mush'röm-stōn), n.
fossil or stone that resembles a mush-

room.

Α

'Fifteen mushroom-stones of the same shape.' Woodward. Mushroom-sugar (mush'röm-shu-gér), n. Mannite (which see).

Music (mü'zik), n. [Fr. musique, L. musica, from Gr. mousike (techne, art, understood), music, art, culture. See MUSE, n.] 1. Any succession of sounds so modulated as to please the ear, or any combination of simultaneous sounds in harmony; melody or harmony.-2. The science of harmonical sounds, which treats of the principles of harmony, or the properties, dependencies, and relations of sounds to each other.3. The art of producing melody or harmony; the production of sounds pleasant to the ear. 4. The written or printed score of a composition.-5. A band of musicians. Shak.Chamber music, vocal or instrumental compositions suitable for performance in a chamber, as opposed to a concert-room.-Magic music, a game in which usually some article is hidden, and one of the company who does not know where it has been hid endeavours to discover it, being partly guided by the music of some instrument which is played fast as he approaches the place of concealment and more slowly as he recedes from it.

A pleasant game she thought; she liked it more Than magic music, forfeits, all the rest. Tennyson. -Music of the spheres. See Harmony of the spheres under HARMONY.

Musical (mü'zik-al), a. 1. Belonging to music; as, musical proportion; a musical instrument.-2. Producing music or agreeable sounds; melodious; harmonious; pleasing to the ear; as, a musical voice; musical sounds. 'As sweet and musical as bright Apollo's lute.' Shak.-Musical glasses. See HARMONICA, 1.-Musical scale. See SCALE. Musical-box (mü'zik-al-boks), n. A small instrument, having a toothed barrel operating on vibrating tongues, which plays one or more tunes on being wound up. Musical-clock (mü'zik-al-klok), n. clock which plays tunes at certain fixed times. Simmonds.

A

227

Musically (mü'zik-al-li), adv. In a musical manner; with sweet sounds. Musicalness (mū'zik-al-nes), n. The quality of being musical.

Music-book (mü'zik-buk), n. A book containing tunes or songs for the voice or for instruments.

Music-drawing (muʼzik-dra-ing), a. Producing music by being drawn across an instrument. "The music-drawing bow.' Cowper.

Music-folio (mü'zik-fō-li-ō), n. A case for holding loose music; a music wrapper. Musician (mu-zi'shan), n. A person skilled in the science of music, or one that sings or performs on instruments of music according to the rules of the art.

The praise of Bacchus then the sweet musician sung. Dryden.

Music-loft (mü'zik-loft), n. A gallery or balcony for musicians.

Music-master (mü'zik-mas-tér), n. One who teaches music.

In

Musicomania (mů'zik-ō-ma-ni-a), n. pathol. a variety of monomania in which the passion for music is carried to such an extent as to derange the intellectual faculties. Dunglison. Called also Musomania. Music-paper (mu'zik-pa-pèr), n. Paper ruled with lines for copying music on. Music-recorder (mü'zik-rē-kord-ér), n. The name given to several devices for recording music as it is played on any sort of keyed instrument, as the organ or pianoforte. Mr. Fenby's recorder, named by him a phonograph, does this by attaching a stud to the under side of each key. When the key is pressed down the stud comes in contact with a spring, which in turn sets in action an electro-magnetic apparatus, which causes a tracer to press against a fillet of chemically-prepared paper moving at a uniform rate.

The arrangement is such as to denote the length and character of the notes. Abbé Moigno's phonautograph records notes by means of a pencil attached to a kind of spheroidal drum, which vibrates when any musical notes are sounded, whether by the mouth or by an instrument. Music-shell (mü'zik-shel), n. The common name of a shell-fish of the genus Murex, remarkable for its variegations, which consist of several series of spots placed in rows of lines like the notes of music. Music-smith (mü'zik-smith), n. A workman who makes the metal parts of pianofortes, &c. Simmonds.

Music-stand (mü'zik-stand), n. A light frame for placing music on while being played; also, a case for music-books. Music-stool (mü'zik-stòl), n. A stool for one who performs on a piano or similar instrument, having a revolving seat adjustable as to height by means of a screw. Music-type (mü'zik-tip), n. The symbols of musical notes cast for printing from. Musimon (mus'i-mon), n. Same as Mouflon. Musing (müz'ing), a. Meditative; preoccupied; absent-minded. 'With even step and musing gait.' Milton.

Musing (müz'ing), n. Meditation; contemplation; absent-mindedness. Musingly (mūz'ing-li), adv. In a musing

Musivet (mü'ziv), n. Mosaic work. Musk (musk), n. [Fr. musc, It. and Sp. musco, from L. muscus, musk; Ar. mosk, misk, from Per. mosk, musk; allied to Skr. mushka, a testicle. ] 1. A substance obtained from a cyst or bag near the navel of the musk-deer (Moschus moschiferus). It is originally a viscid fluid, but dries into a brown pulverulent substance of a strong, peculiar, and highly diffusible odour. Its chief use is as a perfume. An artificial musk is obtained by the action of nitric acid upon oil of amber.-2. A musky smell; an aromatic smell; a perfume.

The woodbine spices are wafted abroad, And the musk of the roses blown. Tennyson.

3. See MUSK-DEER.-4. In bot. a popular name for Mimulus moschatus, also for Erodium moschatum, or musky heron's-bill. Musk (musk), v.t. To perfume with musk. Muskallonge (mus'kal-lonj), n. [American Indian.] A large variety of pike found in the lakes of North America and in some of its rivers. Written also Maskallonge, Maskinonge, and Muskelunjeh. Muskat (mus'kat), n. [Fr. muscat, from L.L. muscatus, smelling of musk. See MUSK.]

MUSKET-REST

A kind of grape, and the wine made from it. See MUSCADEL.

Musk-bag (musk'bag), n. 1. A bag or vessel containing musk.-2. The cyst containing musk in a musk-deer. Musk-ball (musk'bal), n. A ball for the toilet, containing musk. Nares. Musk-beaver (musk'bē-vér), n. Same as Musk-rat. Musk-beetle (musk'be-tl), n. The Callichroma or Aromia moschata (the Cerambyx moschatus of Linn.). See CALLICHROMA. Musk-cake (musk'kāk), n. Musk, rose leaves, and other ingredients made into a cake. Nares.

Musk-cavy (musk'ka-vi), n. A West Indian rodent mammal of the genus Capromys, family Muridæ, about the size of a rabbit. It has its name from the fact that its feet emit a strong smell of musk. It burrows like a mole, and can be traced to its nest merely by the scent.

Musk-deer (musk'der), n. The Moschus moschiferus, an animal that inhabits the elevated plateaus and mountainous regions of Central Asia, especially the Altaic chain. This animal, which produces the wellknown perfume, is a little more than 3 feet in length; the head resembles that of the roe, the fur is coarse, like that of the cervine race, but thick, erect, smooth, and soft. It has no horns, but the male has

two long tusks, one on each side, projecting from the mouth. The female is smaller than the male, and has neither tusks nor musk gland. The gland or bag of the male, which contains the musk, is about the size of a hen's egg, oval, flat on one side and rounded on the other, having a small orifice. The pigmy musk-deer (Tragulus pygmaeus), also called kanchil and chevrotain, inhabits Java and other of the Asiatic islands, and is considerably smaller.

Musk-duck (musk'duk), n. A species of duck, often erroneously called the Muscovyduck (Cairina moschata), a native of America, but now domesticated with us. It has a musky smell, and is larger and more prolific and sits oftener than the common duck.

Muskelunjeh (mus-ke-lun'je), n. See MUS

KALLONGE.

Musket (mus'ket), n. [Fr. mousquet, from O.Fr. mousket, moschet, a musket, originally a sparrow-hawk, from Fr. mouche, O. Fr. mousche, a spot resembling a fly, from L. musca, a fly-the bird having its name from its speckled plumage. It was anciently common to give the names of birds of prey to guns and other firearms. Comp. falcon, falconet, saker, &c.] 1. t A male sparrow-hawk. See EYAS-MUSKET.-2. A general term used for any hand-gun employed for military purposes. According to its original application musket denoted a firearm discharged by means of a lighted match, and so heavy that it required to be laid across a staff or rest previous to being fired. Formerly spelled Musquet.

And is it I

That drive thee from the sportive court, where thou Wast shot at with fair eyes, to be the mark Of smoky muskets 1 Shak. Musketeer (mus-ket-er), n. A soldier armed with a musket.

Musketoon (mus-ket-ön'), n. [Fr. mousqueton. See MUSKET.] 1. A short musket with a wide bore.-2. One armed with a musketoon. 'Guard of archers and musketoons.' Sir T. Herbert. Musket-proof (mus'ket-pröf), a. Capable of resisting the force of a musket-ball. Musket-rest (mus'ket-rest), n. A staff or rod with a forked top, formerly used to rest

MUSKETRY

the musket on when being fired. Each soldier armed with a musket carried one such These rests were rendered necessary

rest.

3

by the heaviness of the ancient muskets and the awkward apparatus by which they were discharged. Fig. 1 shows a musket-rest and fig. 2 its head, fig. 3 a musket-rest with bayonet: time of Elizabeth and James I. Musketry (mus'ket-ri), n. 1. Muskets collectively.-2. The fire of muskets.-3. A body of troops armed with muskets. 4. The art or science of firing small-arms; as, an instructor of musketry.

Musk-hyacinth (musk'hi-asinth), n. Muscari racemosum, Musket-rests. a British bulbous plant, akin to the blue-bells. Called also Starch-hyacinth and Grape-hyacinth. Muskiness (musk'i-nes), n. The quality or state of being musky; the scent of musk. Musk-mallow (musk'mal-lo), n. Malva moschata, a British perennial plant. It has its name from the peculiar musky odour thrown off by all parts of the plant. The scent is perceived particularly when the plant is in a confined situation, being seldom powerful enough to be sensible in the open air.

Musk-melon (musk'mel-on), n. A delicious variety of melon, named probably from its fragrance.

Musk-orchis (musk'or-kis), n. A plant, Herminium Monorchis. See HERMINIUM. Musk-ox (musk'oks), n. The Ovibos moschatus, a ruminant mammal of the bovine tribe which inhabits the extreme northern portions of North America. It is scarcely equal in size to a very small Highland ox. It has large horns united at the skull in the case of the males, and turned downward on

Musk-ox (Ovibos moschatus). each side of the head, curving up slightly backwards. The hair is very long and fine, and has occasionally been woven into a fabric softer than silk. The flesh is pleasant to the taste, but smells strongly of musk, the odour of which is also diffused from the living animal. It feeds on grass, twigs, lichens, &c., migrates considerable distances in search of food, and is very fleet, active, and hardy.

Musk-pear (musk'pār), n. A fragrant kind of pear.

Musk-plant (musk'plant), n. A little yellow-flowered musky-smelling plant of the genus Mimulus (M. moschatus), a native of Oregon but now a common garden plant in Britain.

Musk-plum (musk'plum), n. A fragrant kind of plum.

Musk-rat (musk'rat), n. 1. An American rodent quadruped allied to the beaver, the Fiber zibethicus, the only known species of the genus. It is about the size of a small rabbit, and has a compressed, lanceolated tail, with toes separate. It has the smell of musk in summer, but loses it in winter. The odour is due to a whitish fluid deposited in certain glands near the origin of the tail. The fur is used by hatters. Its popular name in America is musquash, the Indian name. Called also Musk-beaver.-2. An aquatic insectivorous animal, having a long flexible nose, and a double row of glands near the tail secreting a substance of a strong musky smell, found in Southern Russia and the Pyrenees; the desman; Mygale moschata or Galemys pyrenaica.3. Sorex murinus (myosurus), an Indian species of shrew, about the size of the brown

228

rat, and in form and colour resembling the common British shrew. It derives its name from the secretion of a powerful musky odour proceeding from glands on its belly and flanks.

Musk-root (musk'röt), n. The root of Euryangium Sumbul, nat. order Umbelliferæ, containing a strong odorous principle resembling that of musk. It is employed in medicine as an antispasmodic. Called also Sambul and Sumbul

Musk-rose (musk'rōz), n. A species of rose, so called from its fragrance. Milton. Musk-seed (musk'sēd), n. A popular name of the Abelmoschus moschatus. See ABELMOSCHUS.

Musk-thistle (musk'this-1), n. A British plant, Carduus nutans.

Musk-wood (musk'wud), n. The muskysmelling timbers of certain trees; the muskwood of Jamaica is Moschoxylum Swartzii and Guarea grandifolia; that of New South Wales is Eurybia argophylla.

Musky (musk'i), a. Having the character, especially in the way of odour, of musk; fragrant. Milton.

Muslim (muz'lim), n. Same as Moslem. Muslin (muz'lin), n. [Fr. mousseline, said to be derived from Mosul or Moussul, a town in Turkish Asia.] A fine thin cotton fabric, first made at Mosul or Moussul, afterwards in India, and first imported into England about 1670. About twenty years afterwards it was manufactured in considerable quantities both in France and Britain, and there are now many different kinds made, as book, mull, jaconet, leno, foundation, &c., some of which rival in fineness those of India.Figured muslins are wrought in the loom to imitate tamboured muslins.

'At Mosul,' says Marco Polo, all the cloths of gold and silk that are called Mosolins are made'-a proof that muslin had a very different meaning from what it has now. In the middle of last century it seems to have been applied to a strong cotton made at Mosul. Quart. Rev. Muslin (muz'lin), a. 1. Made of muslin; as, a muslin gown.-2. A term applied to certain moths. Maunder.

Muslin-de-laine (muz'lin-dē-lán), n. [Fr. mousseline-de-laine.] Lit. woollen muslin; a woollen, or cotton and woollen fabric of extremely light texture, used for ladies' dresses, &c.

Muslinet (muz'lin-et), n. [Dim. of muslin.] A sort of coarse muslin. Muslin-kail (muz'lin-kal), n. [Probably so called from its thinness or want of any rich ingredient.] Broth composed simply of water, shelled barley, and greens. Burns. [Scotch.]

Musmon (mus'mon), n. The moufflon (which see).

Musnud (mus'nud), n. In Persia and India, a throne or chair of state.

Musomania (mu-zō-mā'ni-a), n. Same as

Musicomania.

Musophagidæ (mü-sō-faj'i-dē), n. pl. [From genus Musophaga, from Musa, the botanical name of the plantain, and Gr. phago, to eat.] The plantain-eaters, a family of insessorial birds, distinguished by short, largely elevated, and gibbose bills. The Musophaga violacea, or violet plantain-eater, is a very magnificent bird, found on the west coast of Africa.

Muspelheim (mus'pel-him), n. In Scand. myth. the abode of fire, which at the beginning of time existed in the south. Sparks were collected from it to make the stars. Musquash (mus'kwosh). See MUSK-RAT, 1. Musquaw (mus'kwa), n. A name for the common black bear of America (Ursus americanus).

Musquet (mus'ket), n. Same as Musket. Musquito (mus-ke'to). See MOSQUITO. Musrol, Musrole (muz'rōl), n. [Fr. muserolle, from museau, muzzle. ] The noseband of a horse's bridle.

Musst (mus), n. [O.Fr. mousche, a fly, also the play called muss, from L. musca, a fly.] A scramble, as when any small objects are thrown down to be taken by those who can seize them; an indiscriminate fight; a state of confusion; disorder.

Of late, when I cried, ho! Like boys unto a muss, kings would start forth. Shak. Muss (mus), v. t. To put into a state of disorder; to rumple; to tumble. [United States.]

Musst (mus), n. [Probably a corruption of mouse.] A term of endearment. 'Speak, good muss.' B. Jonson.

MUSTACHIOED

Mussal (mus'al),n. In the East Indies, torches made of long strips of cotton bound tightly together and dipped in oil. Mussalchee (mus-sal'che), n. Same as Musalchee.

Mussel (mus'el), n. [Same word as muscle, with different spelling and meaning.] A lamellibranchiate mollusc of the genus Mytilus, family Mytilida. The shells are ovatetriangular, with a marginal cartilage, the valves closed by two adductor muscles, the mantle has a distinct anal orifice, and there is a large byssus or beard, by which the animal attaches itself to rocks, &c. When young it moves about by means of a foot. The common mussel (M. edulis) is very abundant on our own coast, in the Mediterranean and North Sea, and is largely used for food and still more extensively for bait. There are several species of the same genus, a few of which are found in fresh water. The name is also given to molluscs of the genus Lithodomus, date-shells or stone-borers. These burrow in the hardest stones. Mussel-band (mus'el-band), n. A local name for an ironstone in which the remains of lamellibranch shells are abundant. Called also Mussel-bind.

Mussel-bed (mus'el-bed), n. A bed or repository of mussels.

Mussel-bind (mus'el-bind), n. See MUSSEL

BAND.

Mussitation (mus-i-ta'shon), n. [L. mussitatio, mussitationis, a muttering, from musso, to mutter.] A mumbling; specifically, in pathol. a condition in which the tongue and lips move as in the act of speaking without sound being produced. It is a symptom of great cerebral debility. Mussite (mus'it), n. [From the valley of Mussa, in Piedmont.] A variety of pyroxene of a greenish white colour, otherwise called Diopside.

Mussulman (mus'ul-man), n. pl. Mussulmans (mus'ul-manz). [Corrupted from moslemin, pl. of moslem. See MOSLEM.] A Mohammedan or follower of Mohammed; a true believer in Mohammed; a Moslem. Mussulmanic (mus-ul-man'ik), a. Pertaining to Mussulmans, or like them or their customs. Wright.

Mussulmanish (mus'ul-man-ish), a. Mohammedan. The Mussulmanish faith. Sir T. Herbert. The

Mussulmanism (mus'ul-man-izm), n. religious system of the Mussulmans; Mohammedanism.

Mussulmanly (mus'ul-man-li), adv. In the manner of Mussulmans. Wright. Must (must), v.i.: without inflection and used as a present or a past tense. [O.E. most, moste, A.Sax. ie moste, wé móston, I must, we must, a past tense; pres. ic mót, I may, I must, we moton, we may or must; similar forms occur in Goth. D. and G.] 1. To be obliged; to be necessitated; to be bound or required, whether by physical or by moral necessity; as, a man must eat for nourishment; we must submit to the laws or be exposed to punishment; a bill in a legislative body must be read three times before it can pass.

Likewise must the deacons be grave. 1 Tim. iii. 8.

2. Must is often used merely to express the conviction of the speaker, or to indicate his inability to believe anything different from what he states; as, my friend must have lost the train, otherwise he would have been here by this time. Compare the use of bound mentioned under BOUND, pp. Must (must), n. [From L. mustum, new wine, from mustus, new, fresh.] New wine; wine pressed from the grape but not fermented.

And in the vats of Luna,
This year the must shall foam,

Round the white feet of laughing girls,

Whose sires have marched to Rome. Macaulay. Must (must), v.t. [Probably from the adjective musty (which see).] To make mouldy and sour; to make musty; as, to must corn. Mortimer.

Must (must), v.i. To grow mouldy and sour; to contract a fetid smell. Must (must), n. Mould or mouldiness; fustiness.

Mustache, Mustachio (mös-täsh', möstäsh'i-o), n. See MOUSTACHE. Mustachioed (mös-tash'i-ōd), a. Same as Moustached.

It was pleasing to see his open and ingenuous countenance, well mustachioed and corked, looking out from an open shirt collar. Dickens.

MUSTAIB

Mustaib, Mustaiba (mus'ta-ēb, mus-ta-ē'ba), n. A close heavy Brazil wood used for knife and tool handles. Spelled also Mostahiba.

Mustang (mus'tang), n. [Sp. mesteño, belonging to the mesta or graziers.] The wild horse of the pampas and prairies of America, a descendant of horses of Spanish importation. They live in troops, and are often caught for use. The mustang pony is easily broken to the saddle, and is very hardy. Mustard (mus'têrd), n. [O. Fr. moustarde, Mod. Fr. moutarde, Pr. and It. mostarda, mustard, from L. mustum, must, because it is made with a little must mixed in it.] The common name of plants of the genus Sinapis, nat. order Cruciferæ. The seeds of the S. alba and S. nigra (white and common mustard), when ground and freed from husks, form the well-known condiment of the shops. Table mustard is in some parts often adulterated with flour to increase the bulk, with turmeric to give a yellow colour, and with pepper-pods to heighten the pungency of the mixture. It is often very valuable as a stimulant to weak digestion, and as an adjunct to fatty and other indigestible articles of food. When

mixed with warm water, and taken in large quantities, it acts as an emetic. The tender leaves are used as a salad, and the seeds of S. nigra are

used in thewell-known Mustard (Sinapis nigra). form of poultice, being

applied to various parts of the skin as a rubefacient. Wild mustard or charlock (S. arrensis) is a troublesome weed in cornfields, often making them yellow with its flowers. Its seeds are said to have yielded the first Durham mustard, and they are still gathered to mix with those of the cultivated species. -Oil of mustard, an essential oil obtained from the seeds of Sinapis nigra. It is very pungent to the taste and smell, and when applied to the skin speedily raises a blister. Mustard-pot (mus'tèrd-pot), n. A vessel to hold mustard prepared for the table. Mustard-seed (mus'terd-sed), n. The seed of mustard. See MUSTARD.

Mustee (mus-te'), n. [See MESTIZO.] Same as Mestee.

Mustela (mus-tē'la), n. [L., a weasel, from mus, a mouse.] The name given by Linnæus to a genus of carnivorous, digitigrade mammalia, comprehending the otters, skunks, polecats, and weasels, which are now included in the family Mustelidæ. The genus Mustela is now restricted to the true weasels.

Mustelidæ (mus-tēli-dē), n. pl. [Mustela (which see).] A family of quadrupeds, comprehending the otters, ermines or stoats, sables, martens, ferrets, minks, skunks, polecats, and weasels. They are all distinguished by a long and slender body, short limbs, feet with five toes, and elongation of the head behind the eyes.

Musteline (mus'te-lin), a. [L. mustelinus, from mustela, a weasel.] Pertaining to the weasel or animals of the genus Mustela; as, a musteline colour; the musteline genus. Muster (mus'tér), v.t. [O.E. moustre, mostre (also monstre), to show or exhibit, a show, an appearance; O. Fr. moustrer, mostrer, monstrer; Mod. Fr. montrer, to exhibit, to show; from L. monstro, to show, from monstrum, an omen or portent, a monster; hence also G. mustern, D. monsteren, Dan. mynstre, to muster.] 1. To collect, as troops for service, review, parade, or exercise; to review, as troops under arms, and take an account of their numbers, the condition they are in, the state of their arms, and the like.

Shak.

Gentlemen, will you go muster men? Hence-2. Generally, to assemble; to bring together; to collect for use or exhibition. All the gay feathers he could muster.' Sir R. L'Estrange. To muster troops into service, is to inspect and enter them on the musterroll of the army.-To muster troops out of service, is to inspect and enter them on a muster-roll, according to which they receive pay for the last time, and are dismissed. To muster up, to gather, to collect, to sum

One of those who can muster up sufficient sprightliness to engage in a game of forfeits. Hazlitt. Muster (mus'tèr), v. i. To assemble; to meet in one place, as soldiers. The mustering squadron.' Byron.

Shak.

Why does my blood thus muster to my heart? Muster (mus'ter), n. [O.E. moustre, O. Fr. mostre, monstre, G. muster. See the verb.] 1. Pattern; example; specimen; sample. [Obsolete in this sense except in commerce.] Methinks your suit should succeed, being, as it is, founded in justice and honour, and Elizabeth being the very muster of both. Sir W. Scott.

2. An assembling of troops for review or for service; a review of troops under arms. Hasten his musters, and conduct his powers.'

Shak.

Our present musters grow upon the file To five and twenty thousand men of choice. Shak. 3. A register or roll of troops mustered. Ye publish the musters of your own bands. Hooker. 4. A collection, or the act of collecting or assembling.

Of the temporal grandees of the realm and of their wives and daughters the muster was great and splendid. Macaulay. -To pass muster, to pass without censure, as one among a number on inspection; to be allowed to pass.

Double-dealers may pass muster for a while; but all parties wash their hands of them in the conclusion. Sir R. L'Estrange. Muster-book (mus'tėr-buk), n. A book in which forces are registered. Muster-file (mus'tër-fil), n. Same as Muster-roll.

Muster-master (mus'tèr-mas-tèr), n. One who takes an account of troops, and of their arms and other military apparatus. The chief officer of this kind is called mustermaster-general.

Muster-roll (mus'tèr-rōl), n. 1. A roll or register of the troops in each company, troop, or regiment. -2. A roll or register kept by the master of every vessel, specifying his own name, the names of the whole ship's company, the place of each person's birth, &c.

Mustily (mus'ti-li), adv. In a musty manner; mouldily; sourly.

Mustiness (mus'ti-nes), n. The state or quality of being musty or sour; mouldiness; damp foulness.

Musty (mus'ti), a. [Of doubtful origin; perhaps from L. mucidus, mouldy, musty, through such forms as musdius, mustius; or connected with moist.] 1. Mouldy; sour; foul and fetid; as, a musty cask; musty corn or straw; musty books. As I was smoking a musty room.' Shak.-2. Stale; spoiled by

3. Having an ill flavour; vapid; as, musty wine.-4. Dull; heavy; spiritless.

Spirit him up that he may not grow musty and unfit for conversation. Addison.

Mutability (mü-ta-bil'i-ti), n. [Fr. mutabilité, L. mutabilitas, from mutabilis, changeable, from muto, to change.] The state or quality of being mutable: (a) the quality of being subject to change or alteration, either in form, state, or essential qualities.

Plato confesses that the heavens and the frame of the world are corporeal, and therefore subject to mutability. Stillingfleet.

(b) Changeableness, as of mind, disposition, or will; inconstancy; instability; as, the mutability of opinion or purpose. Nice Mutable (mü'ta-bl), a. [L. mutabilis, from longings, slanders, mutability." Shak. muto, to change.1 1. Capable of being

altered in form, qualities, or nature; subject to change; changeable. "Things of the most accidental and mutable nature.' South. 2. Changeable or inconstant in mind or feelings; unsettled; unstable; liable to change. "The mutable rank-scented many.' Shak. 'Most mutable in wishes.' Byron. I saw thee mutable

Of fancy, fear'd lest one day thou wouldst leave me. Milton. SYN. Changeable, alterable, unstable, unsteady, unsettled, wavering, inconstant, variable, irresolute, fickle. Mutableness (mu'ta-bl-nes), n. Same as Mutability.

Mutably (mu'ta-bli), adv. In a mutable manner; changeably. Mutage (mu'taj), n. A process for checking the fermentation of the must of grapes.

(mü-tan'da). [L] A thing to be changed: chiefly used in the plural.

Mutation (mü-tāʼshon), n. [L. mutatio, mutationis, from muto, to change.] 1. The act or process of changing; change; alteration, either in form or qualities.

The vicissitudes or mutations in the superior globe are no fit matter for this present argument. Bacon. While above in the variant breezes Numberless noisy weathercocks rattled and sung of mutation. Longfellow.

2. In philol. the change of a vowel through the influence of an a, i, or u in the following syllable: called umlaut in German; thus the plural men is from an older form manni, the a becoming e through the influence of the i.

table.

Mutatory (mūʼta-to-ri), a. Changing; muMutazilite (mū-taz'il-īt), n. Same as Mo

TAZILITE.

Mutch (much), n. [Cog. D. muts, G. mütze, a cap, a bonnet.] A cap or coif; a woman's head-dress. [Scotch.]

Mutchkin (much'kin), n. [A dim. from
mutch, a kind of cap, probably from the
ancient shape of the vessel; comp. D. mutsje,
a little cap, a quartern.] A liquid measure
in Scotland, containing four gills, and form-
ing the fourth part of a Scotch pint.
Mute (mut), a. [L. mutus, silent, dumb;
connected with mutio, to mumble; Gr. myzō,
to mutter; perhaps from the sound mu, made
with closed lips.] 1. Silent; not speaking;
not uttering words.

All the heavenly quire stood mute
And silence was in heaven.

Milton.

2. Incapable of utterance; not having the power of speech; dumb.-3. In gram. and philol. (a) silent; not pronounced; as, in dumb b is mute. (b) Having its sound suddenly and completely checked by a contact of the vocal organs: applied to certain consonants. See the noun.-4. In mineral. applied to metals which do not ring when struck.-5. In law, applied to a person who, being arraigned, cannot speak, or who wilfully refuses to answer or plead. Wharton. Mute (mut), n. 1. A person who is speechless or silent; one who does not speak, whether from physical inability, unwillingness, restraint, duty, &c. (a) A dumb person; one unable to use articulate speech either from congenital or long-continued deafness; a deaf-mute (which see). (b) A hired attendant at a funeral. (c) In Turkey, a dumb officer, usually attached to a seraglio. (d) In theatres, one whose part consists merely of dumb show. (e) In law, a person that stands speechless when he ought to answer or plead.-2. In gram. and philol. (a) a letter that represents no sound, as b in dumb. (b) A consonant formed by such a position of the vocal organs as stops the sound entirely; as k, contrasted with the continuous consonants s or . Mutes are of two kinds, voiced and unvoiced; the former in English are b, d, g (as in get); the latter, p, t, k.-3. In music, (a) a little utensil of wood, ivory, or brass, made to grasp the bridge of an instrument of the violin kind, and so deaden or soften the sounds. (b) A pear-shaped leather pad with a central tube, inserted in the bell of brass instruments for a like purpose.

Mute (mut), v.i. [Fr. mutir, émeutir, to dung, from émeut, dung. Origin doubtful.] To eject the contents of the bowels: said of birds. The least bird. . . muting on my head.' B. Jonson.

Mutet (mut), v.t. To void, as dung: said of birds.

Mine eyes being open, the sparrows muted warm dung into mine eyes. Tobit ii. 10.

Mute (mut), n. The dung of fowls. Hudi

bras.

Mute-hill (mütʼhil), n. Same as Moot-hill. Mutely (mut'li), adv. In a mute manner; silently; without uttering words or sounds. 'He had mutely sat two years before.' Milton

Muteness (müt'nes), n. The state of being mute; silence; forbearance of speaking. "The bashful muteness of a virgin.' Milton. Muticous (mūʼti-kus), a. [L. muticus, docked, curtailed, a form of mutilus.] In bot. without any pointed process or awn: opposed to mucronate, cuspidate, aristate, and the like.

Mutilata (mu-ti-lā'ta), n. pl. [Lit. mutilated animals.] A name sometimes given to comprehend the two orders Cetacea and Sirenia from hind-legs being wanting.