muster
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈmʌs.tə/
ipa: /ˈmʌs.tɚ/
rhymes: -ʌstə(ɹ)
Forms: form: musters
Etymology: From Middle English musteren, borrowed from Anglo-Norman mostrer, Middle French monstrer, moustrer (whence the noun monstre, which gave the English noun), from Latin mōnstrō (“to show”), from moneō (“to admonish”). Cognate with French montrer (“to show”), Italian mostrare (“to show”), Spanish mostrar (“to show”). See also monster.
Senses: examples: text: She seems to hear the Repetition of his Mens Names with Admiration; and waits only to answer him with as false a Muster of Lovers.
ref: 1743, Richard Steele, Joseph Addison, The Lucubrations of Isaac Bickerstaff, Esq.:
text: Of the temporal grandees of the realm, and of their wives and daughters, the muster was great and splendid.
ref: 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter XI, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:
text: 1920, Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics, Official Year Book of the Commonwealth of Australia, Issue 13,
The figures from 1788 to 1825 inclusive, as already mentioned, are based on the musters taken in those years; those for subsequent years are based upon estimates made on the basis of Census results and the annual […] .
glosses: A gathering.
An assemblage or display; a gathering, collection of people or things.
examples: text: Come, let vs take a muster speedily: / Doomesday is neere; dye all, dye merrily.
ref: c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The First Part of Henry the Fourth, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, (please specify the act number in uppercase Roman numerals, and the scene number in lowercase Roman numerals):
text: And after long being there, I 'light, and walked to the place where the King, Duke &c., did stand to see the horse and foot march by and discharge their guns, to show a French Marquisse (for whom this muster was caused) the goodness of our firemen […]
ref: 1663 July 14 (date written; Gregorian calendar), Samuel Pepys, Mynors Bright, transcriber, “July 4th, 1663”, in Henry B[enjamin] Wheatley, editor, The Diary of Samuel Pepys […], volume (please specify |volume=I to X), London: George Bell & Sons […]; Cambridge: Deighton Bell & Co., published 1893–1899, →OCLC:
text: 2010, Ohtar, "Enthroned", Slechtvalk, A Forlorn Throne.
To shorten his way and to hasten for the muster he takes a long lost road.
topics: government
military
politics
war
glosses: A gathering.
An assembling or review of troops, as for parade, verification of numbers, inspection, exercise, or introduction into service.
examples: text: Ye publish the musters of your own bands, and proclaim them to amount of thousands.
ref: 1594–1597, Richard Hooker, edited by J[ohn] S[penser], Of the Lawes of Ecclesiastical Politie, […], London: […] Will[iam] Stansby [for Matthew Lownes], published 1611, →OCLC, (please specify the page):
glosses: A gathering.
The sum total of an army when assembled for review and inspection; the whole number of effective men in an army.
examples: text: McGuire took the two of them out to Kidman's Bore on the Sylvester River where about two dozen stockmen from different stations had gathered to tend the muster along the edge of the Simpson Desert.
ref: 2006, John Gilfoyle, Bloody Jackaroos!, Boolarong Press:
glosses: A gathering.
A roundup of livestock for inspection, branding, drenching, shearing etc.
examples: text: And this is the more ſurprizing, as he [the Indian tailor] never meaſures you; he only aſks "maſter for muſter," as he terms it, that is, for a pattern
ref: 1773, Edward Ives, A Voyage From England To India, London: Printed for Edward and Charles Dilly, page 52:
glosses: Showing.
Something shown for imitation; a pattern.
examples: text: The beasts they saw here were hogs and little dogs, and they found some hens; here also they found a muster of cloves, ginger, and cinnamon; though the cinnamon was not of the best: […]
ref: 1770, Alexander Dalrymple, An Historical Collection of the Several Voyages and Discoveries in the South Pacific Ocean, page 48:
text: A letter from Mr. Downie, dated 14th of January 1807, acknowledging the receipt of one from the plaintiff, transmitting musters of silk, and authorizing the plaintiff, on certain conditions, to proceed in his speculation […]
ref: 1868, Reports of Cases Determined in the Court of Sudder Dewanny Adawlut, page 114:
glosses: Showing.
A sample of goods.
examples: text: Thus all things being condignely ordered, will an ill favoured impatiencie he waited, until the next morning he might make a muster of him selfe in the Iland […]
ref: 1590, Sir Philip Sidney, Arcadia, Book III:
text: And when you find your women's favour fail, / 'Tis ten to one you'll know yourself, and seek me, / Upon a better muster of your manners.
ref: 1647, Beaumont and Fletcher, The Queen of Corinth, act 2:
glosses: Showing.
An act of showing something; a display.
glosses: Showing.
A collection of peafowl. (not a term used in zoology)
Synonyms: sense: review
word: review
sense: review
word: parade
sense: review
word: military parade
Derived terms: bangtail muster
cut the muster
muster-book
muster roll
pass muster