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; Musculā′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-kō-vā′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-vīt, 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′kū-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. Musculocutā′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, mūz, 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. mussāre—L. mussāre, to murmur.]
Muse, mūz, 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, mūz′et, n. (Shak.) a gap in a fence or thicket through which an animal passes.
Musette, mū-zet′, n. a small oboe: an old French bagpipe: a simple pastoral melody.
Museum, mū-zē′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.]