925
muzzy
that old car? You must be joking! (=Surely you are not serious!) 3 (past must) to do, in spite of being unwise or unwanted: If you must drink so much, of course you'll feel sick. | Naturally, after I gave her my advice, she must go and do the opposite! 4 must have old use (in a sentence with if) would have had to: If he had told me I must have helped him. → see NOT (USAGE)
1 Must in senses 1 and 3 above is understood in American English, but most speakers find it formal or British-sounding, because have to is the more common form. 2 Must is used in two ways, to express a what is necessary, and b what is certain or probable. For sense a the past is usually had to: I had to get up early yesterday. The negative is either mustn't (=it is forbidden) or needn't (=it is unnecessary): You mustn't smoke in the classroom. | You needn't arrive at the airport till 10.30. → see also NEED (USAGE). For sense b the past is must have and the negative can't (present) or can't have/couldn't have (past): They must have known about it. (=I'm sure they knew) | They can't have known about it. (=I'm sure they didn't know) 3 Ought to and should can be used as less strong forms of must in both these senses. Compare The doctor told me I must stop smoking. | My friends told me I ought to/should stop smoking and in sense b The meal must be ready by now. (=I'm sure it is) | The meal ought to/should be ready by now. (=I expect it probably is)
must² /mʌst/ n [S] something which it is necessary or very important to have or experience: Warm clothes are a must in the mountains.
must³ n [U] the liquid from which wine is made; GRAPE juice
mus-tache /məˈstɑːʃ||ˈmæstæʃ/ n AmE for MOUSTACHE
mus-ta-chi-o /məˈstɑːʃiəʊ||məˈstæ-/ n pl. -chios [usually pl.] a large curly MOUSTACHE —-oed adj
mus-tang /ˈmʌstæŋ/ n a small American wild horse; BRONCO
Mustang trademark a type of fast car built by the Ford company in the US, popular especially in the 1960s and 1970s
mus-tard /ˈmʌstəəd||-ərd/ n [U] 1 (a yellow-flowered plant whose seeds produce) a hot-tasting powder that is mixed with water and eaten in small quantities especially with meat → see also as keen as mustard (KEEN¹) 2 not cut the mustard to not be good enough for a particular type of activity, especially when competing with other people or things: Other magazines have tried to copy us but never quite cut the mustard. | He's a great boxer, but his last few performances in the ring just haven't cut the mustard.
'mustard gas n [U] a poisonous gas which burns the skin, sometimes used in the First World War
'mustard ,plaster n a POULTICE containing mustard, used especially in former times
mus-ter¹ /ˈmʌstə/ v [I;T(UP)] especially fml or lit to gather or collect: The troops mustered on the hill. | I mustered (up) my courage and walked onto the stage. | trying to muster support for her proposals
muster² n 1 a gathering of people, especially of sol-diers 2 pass muster to be accepted as satisfactory
Mus-tique /muˈstiːk/ a small island in the Caribbean Sea. It is typically thought of as a place where rich and famous people go for a holiday.
must-n't /ˈmʌsnt/ short for must not: We must meet again, mustn't we/(fml) must we not?
must-y /ˈmʌsti/ adj with an unpleasant smell as if old: musty old books —-iness n [U]
mu-ta-ble /ˈmjuːtəbəl/ adj fml able or likely to change —-bility /ˌmjutəˈbɪləti/ n [U]
mu-ta-gen /ˈmjuːtədʒən, -dʒen/ n a substance that causes a MUTATION in a living thing
mu-tant /ˈmjutənt/ n a living thing which has a quality different from any of its parents' qualities and produced by a mutation
mu-ta-tion /mjuːˈteɪʃən/ n 1 [C;U] (an example or result of) a process of change in the cells of a living thing producing a new quality in the material or parts of the body, and sometimes causing illness 2 [U] tech change in a speech sound, especially a vowel, because of the sound of the one next to it → see also UMLAUT
mu-ta-tis mu-tan-dis /ˌmuːtətɪs ˌmuːtændɪs||-ˈtɑːndɪs/ adv Lat with or including necessary changes; taking into consideration differences in details
mute¹ /mjuːt/ adj 1 silent; without speech: mute astonish-ment 2 tech not pronounced: The word 'debt' contains a mute letter. —-ly adv —-ness n [U]
mute² n 1 a person who cannot speak 2 tech an object used with a musical instrument to make it give a softer sound
mute³ v [I] tech (of a bird) to pass waste matter from the body
mut-ed /ˈmjutɪd/ adj 1 (of sound or colours) made softer than usual 2 (especially of expressions of feeling) less force-ful than usual or expected: muted criticism/enthusiasm
mu-ti-late /ˈmjuːtɪleɪt/ v [T often pass.] 1 to seriously damage (especially a person's body) by removing a part; MAIM: The kidnapper threatened to mutilate the child if his price was not paid soon. | a mutilated body 2 to spoil completely: You've mutilated the story by making such big changes. —-lation /ˌmjuːtɪˈleɪʃən/ n [C;U]
mu-ti-neer /ˌmjuːtɪˈnɪəʳ, -tən-/ n a person who takes part in a mutiny
mu-ti-nous /ˈmjuːtɪnəs, -tən-/ adj 1 taking part in a mutiny: mutinous soldiers 2 angrily disobedient; REBEL-LIOUS: mutinous teenagers | the mutinous faces of the staff —-ly adv
mu-ti-ny /ˈmjuːtɪni, -təni/ n [C;U] (an example of) the act of taking power from the person in charge, especially from a captain on a ship: There is talk of mutiny among the sailors. —-mutiny v [I]
Mutiny on the 'Bounty, The → see BOUNTY
mutt /mʌt/ n infml 1 a fool 2 especially AmE a dog of no particular breed
mut-ter /ˈmʌtə/ v [I;T] to speak (usually angry or complain-ing words) in a low voice, not easily heard: He muttered a threat/a complaint. | Some members of the government are beginning to mutter about the prime minister. —-mutter n [S] —-er n
mut-ton /ˈmʌtn/ n [U] 1 the meat from a sheep → see MEAT (USAGE) 2 BrE mutton dressed as lamb an older person, especially a woman, trying too hard to look young
mut-ton-chops /ˌmʌtnˈtʃɒps-||ˈmʌtnˌtʃɑːps/ also ,mut-tonchop 'whiskers n [P] a beard worn on the sides of the cheeks, but not on the chin
mu-tu-al /ˈmjuːtʃuəl/ adj 1 having or based on the same relationship one towards the other: their mutual dislike (=she dislikes him and he dislikes her) | I like her and I hope the feeling is mutual. (=I hope she likes me) 2 equally shared by each one: mutual interests | our mutual friend John (=who is a friend of yours, and a friend of mine, too) | an agreement that will be for our mutual benefit —-ly adv: The two beliefs are mutually exclusive. (=if you hold one of them it is impossible to hold the other) —-ity /ˌmjutʃuˈæləti/ n [U]
'mutual fund n AmE for UNIT TRUST
muu-muu /ˈmuː muː/ n [C] AmE a long loose dress
mux /mʌks/ n infml MULTIPLEXER
Muy-bridge, Ead-weard /ˈmaɪbrɪdʒ, ˈedwəd||-ərd/ (1830-1904) an English photographer who recorded the movement especially of animals by taking sets of photographs with several cameras arranged in a row
Mu-zak /ˈmjuzæk/ n trademark recorded background music played continuously in airports, hotels, shops etc. Muzak is disliked by some people and the word is sometimes used for music which is unexciting and which people do not really pay attention to.
muz-zle¹ /ˈmʌzəl/ n 1 the front part of an animal's face, with the nose and mouth 2 a covering fastened round an animal's mouth, to prevent it from biting 3 the front end of a gun barrel
muzzle² v [T] 1 to put a muzzle on (an animal) 2 to force to keep silent: The newspapers that opposed the junta were effectively muzzled by strict censorship laws.
muz-zy /ˈmʌzi/ adj 1 not clear; blurred (BLUR): The television picture's muzzy. 2 not thinking clearly, perhaps because of illness or alcohol: a muzzy head —-zily adv —-ziness n [U]