mu scle-bound ADJ If you describe someone as muscle-bound , you mean that their muscles are well developed, usually in an unattractive way. □ …a cartoon of a muscle-bound woman standing victorious astride a prone male.
mus|cu|lar /mʌ skjʊlə r /
1 ADJ [ADJ n] Muscular means involving or affecting your muscles. □ As a general rule, all muscular effort is enhanced by breathing in as the effort is made. □ Early symptoms include anorexia, muscular weakness and fatigue.
2 ADJ If a person or their body is muscular , they are very fit and strong, and have firm muscles which are not covered with a lot of fat. □ Like most female athletes, she was lean and muscular.
mus|cu|lar dys|tro|phy /mʌ skjʊlə r d I strəfi/ N‑UNCOUNT Muscular dystrophy is a serious disease in which your muscles gradually weaken.
mus|cu|la|ture /mʌ skjʊlətʃə r / N‑UNCOUNT [oft with poss] Musculature is used to refer to all the muscles in your body, or to a system of muscles that you use to perform a particular type of action. [FORMAL ]
muse /mjuː z/ (muses , musing , mused )
1 VERB If you muse on something, you think about it, usually saying or writing what you are thinking at the same time. [WRITTEN ] □ [V + on/about/over ] Many of the papers muse on the fate of the President. □ [V with quote] 'As a whole,' she muses, 'the 'organized church' turns me off'. □ [V that] He once mused that he would have voted Labour in 1964 had he been old enough. ● mus|ing (musings ) N‑COUNT □ His musings were interrupted by Montagu who came and sat down next to him.
2 N‑COUNT A muse is a person, usually a woman, who gives someone, usually a man, a desire to create art, poetry, or music, and gives them ideas for it. □ [+ to ] Once she was a nude model and muse to French artist Henri Matisse.
mu|seum ◆◆◇ /mjuːziː əm/ (museums ) N‑COUNT A museum is a building where a large number of interesting and valuable objects, such as works of art or historical items, are kept, studied, and displayed to the public. □ For months Malcolm had wanted to visit the Parisian art museums. □ [+ of ] …the American Museum of Natural History.
mu|se um piece (museum pieces ) N‑COUNT If you describe an object or building as a museum piece , you mean that it is old and unusual. □ One day these are multi-million-dollar war machines and the next they are museum pieces.
mush /mʌ ʃ/ (mushes , mushing , mushed )
1 N‑VAR [oft a N ] Mush is a thick, soft paste. □ The brown mush in the fridge is some veg soup left over.
2 N‑UNCOUNT If you describe something such as a film or book as mush , you mean that it is very sentimental. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ He calls the film "a trite, sentimental puddle of mush."
3 VERB If you mush something, you make it into a mush. □ [V -ed up ] …mushed-up potato and cauliflower. [Also V n, V -ed]
mush|room /mʌ ʃruːm/ (mushrooms , mushrooming , mushroomed )
1 N‑VAR Mushrooms are fungi that you can eat. □ There are many types of wild mushrooms. □ …mushroom omelette.
2 → see also button mushroom
3 VERB If something such as an industry or a place mushrooms , it grows or comes into existence very quickly. □ [V ] The media training industry has mushroomed over the past decade. □ [V + to/into ] A town of a few hundred thousand people mushroomed to a crowded city of 2 million.
mu sh|room cloud (mushroom clouds ) N‑COUNT A mushroom cloud is an extremely large cloud caused by a nuclear explosion.
mushy /mʌ ʃi/ (mushier , mushiest )
1 ADJ Vegetables and fruit that are mushy are soft and have lost most of their shape. □ When the fruit is mushy and cooked, remove from the heat.
2 ADJ If you describe someone or something as mushy , you mean that they are very sentimental. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ Don't go getting all mushy and sentimental.
mu|sic ◆◆◆ /mjuː z I k/
1 N‑UNCOUNT Music is the pattern of sounds produced by people singing or playing instruments. □ …classical music. □ [+ of ] …the music of George Gershwin.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Music is the art of creating or performing music. □ He went on to study music, specialising in the clarinet. □ …a music lesson.
3 N‑UNCOUNT Music is the symbols written on paper which represent musical sounds. □ He's never been able to read music.
4 → see also sheet music
5 PHRASE If something that you hear is music to your ears , it makes you feel very happy. [FEELINGS ] □ [+ of ] Popular support–it's music to the ears of any politician.
6 PHRASE If you face the music , you put yourself in a position where you will be criticized or punished for something you have done. □ Sooner or later, I'm going to have to face the music.
mu|si|cal ◆◇◇ /mjuː z I k ə l/ (musicals )
1 ADJ [ADJ n] You use musical to indicate that something is connected with playing or studying music. □ We have a wealth of musical talent in this region. □ Stan Getz's musical career spanned five decades. ● mu|si|cal|ly /mjuː z I kli/ ADV [ADV after v] □ Musically there is a lot to enjoy.
2 N‑COUNT A musical is a play or film that uses singing and dancing in the story. □ …London's smash hit musical Miss Saigon.