amuse

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Archived revision by DCDuring (talk | contribs) as of 18:47, 2 January 2020.
Jump to navigation Jump to search
See also: amusé

English

Etymology

From Late Middle English *amusen (“to mutter, be astonished, gaze meditatively on”), from Old French amuser (“to stupefy, waste time, be lost in thought”), from a- + muser (“to stare stupidly at, gape, wander, waste time, loiter, think carefully about, attend to”), of uncertain and obscure origin. Cognate with Occitan musa (“idle waiting”), Italian musare (“to gape idly about”). Possibly from Old French *mus (“snout”) from Vulgar Latin *mūsa (“snout”)  — compare Medieval Latin mūsum (“muzzle, snout”) –, from Proto-Germanic *mū- (“muzzle, snout”), from Proto-Indo-European *mū- (“lips, muzzle”). Compare North Frisian müs, mös (“mouth”), German Maul (“muzzle, snout”).

Alternative etymology connects muser and musa with Frankish *muoza (“careful attention, leisure, idleness”), from Proto-Germanic *mōtǭ (“leave, permission”), from Proto-Indo-European *med- (“to acquire, possess, control”). This would make it a cognate of Dutch musen (“to leisure”), Old High German *muoza (“careful attention, leisure, idleness”) and muozōn (“to be idle, have leisure or opportunity”), German Muße (“leisure”). More at empty.

Pronunciation

Verb

amuse (third-person singular simple present amuses, present participle amusing, simple past and past participle amused)

  1. (transitive) To entertain or occupy in a pleasant manner; to stir with pleasing emotions.
    I watch these movies because they amuse me.
    It always amuses me to hear the funny stories why people haven't got a ticket, but I never let them get in without paying.
    • (Can we date this quote by Gilpin and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      A group of children amusing themselves with pushing stones from the top [of the cliff], and watching as they plunged into the lake.
  2. To cause laughter or amusement; to be funny.
    His jokes rarely fail to amuse.
  3. (transitive, archaic) To keep in expectation; to beguile; to delude.
    • (Can we date this quote by Johnson and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      He amused his followers with idle promises.
  4. (transitive, archaic) To occupy or engage the attention of; to lose in deep thought; to absorb; also, to distract; to bewilder.
    • (Can we date this quote by Holland and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      Camillus set upon the Gauls when they were amused in receiving their gold.
    • (Can we date this quote by Fuller and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)
      Being amused with grief, fear, and fright, he could not find the house.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

References

Anagrams

Dutch

Etymology

Clipping of amuse-bouche or amuse-gueule.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˌaːˈmyː.zə/, /ˌaːˈmy.zə/
  • Audio:(file)
  • Hyphenation: amu‧se

Noun

amuse m (plural amuses)

  1. appetiser, hors d'oeuvre

French

Pronunciation

Verb

amuse

  1. first-person singular present indicative of amuser
  2. third-person singular present indicative of amuser
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of amuser
  4. third-person singular present subjunctive of amuser
  5. second-person singular imperative of amuser
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=amuse&oldid=58285394"