Word of the Day

: May 8, 2019

muse

verb MYOOZ

What It Means

1 : to become absorbed in thought; especially : to think about something carefully and thoroughly

2 archaic : wonder, marvel

3 : to think or say (something) in a thoughtful way

muse in Context

"On Twitter and Instagram, he's been acting like a moody teenager, posting photos of himself staring at scenic natural landscapes and musing about the nature of time itself." — Jacob Shamsian, Insider, 25 Mar. 2019

"'Television brings people together, but television can also tear us apart,' [Jimmy] Kimmel mused." — Patrick Keefe, The New Yorker, 7 Jan. 2019

Did You Know?

The Muses were the nine Greek goddesses who presided over the arts, including music and literature. A shrine to the Muses was called in Latin a Museum (which came to mean "a place for learned occupation"). An artist or poet about to begin work would call on a particular Muse for inspiration, and a poem itself might begin with such a call; thus, Homer's Odyssey begins, "Sing to me of the man, Muse" (that is, of Odysseus). Today, a muse may be one's special creative spirit, but some artists and writers have also chosen living human beings to serve as their muses.