MUSE

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Muse mean? 

• MUSE (noun)
  The noun MUSE has 2 senses:

1. in ancient Greek mythology any of 9 daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne; protector of an art or science

2. the source of an artist's inspiration

  Familiarity information: MUSE used as a noun is rare.

• MUSE (verb)
  The verb MUSE has 1 sense:

1. reflect deeply on a subject

  Familiarity information: MUSE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• MUSE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

In ancient Greek mythology any of 9 daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne; protector of an art or science

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("Muse" is a kind of...):

Greek deity (a deity worshipped by the ancient Greeks)

Instance hyponyms:

Clio ((Greek mythology) the Muse of history)

Urania ((Greek mythology) the Muse of astronomy)

Thalia ((Greek mythology) the Muse of comedy and pastoral poetry)

Terpsichore ((Greek mythology) the Muse of the dance and of choral song)

Polyhymnia ((Greek mythology) the Muse of singing and mime and sacred dance)

Melpomene ((Greek mythology) the Muse of tragedy)

Euterpe ((Greek mythology) the Muse of music (or the flute))

Erato ((Greek mythology) the Muse of lyric and love poetry)

Calliope ((Greek mythology) the Muse of epic poetry)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The source of an artist's inspiration

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Context example:

Euterpe was his muse

Hypernyms ("muse" is a kind of...):

germ; seed; source (anything that provides inspiration for later work)

Derivation:

muse (reflect deeply on a subject)

• MUSE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they muse    ... he / she / it muses   
Past simple: mused   
Past participle: mused   
-ing form: musing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Reflect deeply on a subject

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

chew over; contemplate; excogitate; meditate; mull; mull over; muse; ponder; reflect; ruminate; speculate; think over

Context example:

The scientist must stop to observe and start to excogitate

Hypernyms (to "muse" is one way to...):

cerebrate; cogitate; think (use or exercise the mind or one's power of reason in order to make inferences, decisions, or arrive at a solution or judgments)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "muse"):

premeditate (think or reflect beforehand or in advance)

theologise; theologize (make theoretical speculations about theology or discuss theological subjects)

introspect (reflect on one's own thoughts and feelings)

bethink (consider or ponder something carefully)

cogitate (consider carefully and deeply; reflect upon; turn over in one's mind)

question; wonder (place in doubt or express doubtful speculation)

puzzle (be uncertain about; think about without fully understanding or being able to decide)

consider; study (give careful consideration to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

muse (the source of an artist's inspiration)

muser (a reflective thinker characterized by quiet contemplation)

musing (a calm, lengthy, intent consideration)

 Context examples 

And still, it was not a bad night, I mused—nothing to the nights I had been through on the Ghost; nothing, perhaps, to the nights we should go through in this cockle-shell.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

She is far better as she is, concluded Adele, after musing some time: besides, she would get tired of living with only you in the moon.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

Bill would have, though, had it been the other way around, he mused as he staggered on.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

My aunt sat musing for a little while, with her chin upon her hand.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

He sat musing a little while, and then said, But I do not see why poor Isabella should be obliged to go back so soon, though he does.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

He had slept a great deal, and spent long hours musing and thinking and doing nothing.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

“It is as a dream, a pleasant dream!” he exclaimed, breaking forth again, after a few minutes' musing.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

Though even that, you know, is far from explaining all, he added, and with the words fell into a vein of musing.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

This is your chance to breathe, relax, and muse about your future and the direction you want to take your life next.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

Continuous and profound contemplation or musing on a subject or series of subjects of a deep or abstruse nature; contemplation of spiritual matters

(Meditation Therapy, NCI Thesaurus)