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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1971 (DOST Vol. IV).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Mus(e, v. Also: muss-, mwss-, muis, muiss-, mwis, moss-, moyse. P.t. musit etc., muissit, mossit, mus(e)d. [ME. muse (1340), OF. muser.]

1. intr. To meditate in silence, to ponder, muse. c1420 Wynt. vii. 512.
Yhit syttand As in a study [than] musand [v.r. mwssande] a1500 Gol. & Gaw. 1231.
Ilk man may kyth be his cure … And muse in his myrrour a1500 Henr. III. 114/5.
Miisand alone in a mornyng I met A mery man c1500-c1512 Dunb. lvii. 11.
Sum man, musand with the wa [M. be the waw], Luikis as he mycht nocht do with a Id. xviii. 1. 1513 Doug. i. viii. 3.
As he musyt studyand in a stair Ib. vii. iv. 135.
He musys thochtfull gretumly Ib. i. xi. 46, iii. vi. 69, vi. v. 77. 1528 Lynd. Dreme 116.
Vp and doun I musit myne alone 1571 Sat. P. xxv. 127. a1578 Pitsc. I. 219/1.
That the King was dollourus and ewer mussing in his mynd 1584-9 Maxwall Commonpl. Bk. 29 b.
Fast did I mwis thinking that ane frend … Is nocht at all excepe [etc.] a1605 Montg. Ch. & Slae 229 (W).
Sumtyme I sicht quhill I was sad, Sumtyme I muissit [L. musit] and maist gane mad Ib. 789.
Abaisd, ane bony quhile I baid And muissit [W². musde] or I answer maid c1590 Fowler I. 79/73.
Mused

b. To be filled with wonder, to marvel. a1400 Leg. S. xxiii. 248.
Bot ferly gret wondir had he The gret stanis quhen he cane se … That gert hyme fast muse & gowe 1513 Doug. xiii. viii. 62.
At the first blenk astonyst half wolx he And musyng hovirris styll on hir to se a1568 Bann. MS. 228 a/46.
The blenkyne of hir bewtie schene Sall gar me mvse [pr. mvfe] quhill that I de

c. To ponder, reflect; to consider, think; to marvel, wonder; on (apon), of or at (anything). a1400 Leg. S. vi. 285.
Quhen I faste musand ves On the beute of that place Ib. xxii. 587.
As he stud one this musand Ib. l. 111.
Thu suld moyse here & merwall Of hewine & erth c1420 Wynt. vi. 1278 (W). c1450-2 Howlat 396.
Furth on my matir to muse I mufe as I may 1456 Hay II. 8/25.
Quhat movit him to muse sa mekle on his wordis? c1500-c1512 Dunb. Twa Mar. W. 211.
Apone sic materis I mus at mydnyght full oft 1513 Doug. i. v. 8.
Within his breist on diuers curis as he thus Musys and thynkis Ib. i. 52. c1552 Lynd. Mon. 118.
Musing and mervelling on the miserie From day to day in erth quhilk dois incres 1571 Sat. P. xxv. 5.
Musing as I could vnderstand Off the suddan decay That [etc.] a1570-86 Arbuthnot Maitl. F. xxx. 147.
It … lernis ws to muse apone the deid a1578 Pitsc. I. 128/11.
And in the meanetyme quhene the king was mussing maist haill wpoun the purpois a1605 Montg. Flyt. 283 (T).
They musit at this mandrak mismaid lyk ane man c1590 J. Stewart 118/4.
O happie man, thow may … on this lustie ladie muis

d. tr., with cognate obj. 1560 Rolland Seven S. Prol. 104.
I hard sum say that ȝe war greitlie rusit, And ȝe ȝour thocht and mynde on sic termes musit

e. intr., const. for, = give thought to, be intent upon. — 1513 Doug. vii. x. h. of ch.
Syne al for batal musis [: refusis]

2. To think or reflect idly, to day-dream, to trifle. c1490 Porteous Noblenes 61/3 (Ch. & M.).
Quhat is ane man worth that musis and lyis in slogardy

3. tr. To ponder, reflect upon; to contemplate, consider; to meditate, plan. 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1440.
The Emprice signifyis Sathan, Quhilk euer oppin malice musit 1567 Sat. P. iv. 54.
Sumtyme in spirit pansive … Musand the meine mycht meis hir euer mair 1600 Crim. Trials II. 253.
Ane uther questioun, I ken, wilbe muisit. Sum will say, ‘Sall we trew [etc.] … ?’

b. To be filled with wonder, to marvel, (at).Const. noun clause or noun phrase. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxiv. 3.
Full oft I mvs and hes in thocht How this fals warld is ay on flocht 1567 G. Ball. 165.
Musing greitlie in my mynde The folie that is in mankynde Ib. 178.

c. To be at a loss to know, to ask oneself, ‘wonder’.Chiefly with dependent question. c1420 Wynt. ii. 493 (W).
Thai … mossit apone gret manere Quhat suld betakin this ansuere Ib. 499.
Quhillis thai mossit this [etc.] a1568 Scott xxvi. 1.
I muse and mervellis in my mynd, Quhat way to wryt, or put in vers, The quent consaitis of wemenkynd 1590 Crim. Trials I. ii. 210.
Quhen he wes lyand in his bed in Tranent … mwsand and pansand how he mycht be revengeit of the said Thomas

4. ? To excogitate. c1550 Rolland Ct. Venus i. 316.
O lustie lufe, thy lufesome obseruance … is … So iolious repleit of all plesance Quha can discriue, thair is no man can muse