muss

verb, noun — 4 senses

muss

verb

/mʌs/ · Northern-England /mʊs/

Etymology Related to mess (“disorder”).

1

To rumple, tousle or make (something) untidy.

  • The old man affectionately mussed his grandson's hair.
Derived terms
mussable, muss up, mussy

muss

noun

Etymology Related to mess (“disorder”).

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):

muss

noun

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

1

Obsolete A term of endearment.

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.

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