adj
Meaning 1
Affected by dampness or mould; damp, mildewed, mouldy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: fusty
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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adj
Affected by dampness or mould; damp, mildewed, mouldy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: fusty
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Having an odour or taste of mould; also (generally), having a stale or unfresh odour or taste.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: fusty
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Characteristic of or relating to mould or mouldiness.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Of attitudes, ideas, writing, or other abstract things: no longer fresh or interesting; outdated, stale.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: outmoded
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Of a person: boring and unadventurous; also, old-fashioned, stuck in the past.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: fogeyish
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Bad-tempered, grumpy, irritable.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively
Qualifier: archaic except Northern England (northwest)
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Of a male animal such as a camel or an elephant: in musth.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A type of snuff with a musty flavour (adjective sense 2).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To turn musty (adjective sense 1 or 2); to must.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
stale and unclean smelling
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: fusty, frowsty
Antonyms: none provided
adjective satellite
covered with or smelling of mold
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: moldy, mouldy
Antonyms: none provided
History
The adjective is derived from Late Middle English musty; further origin uncertain, possibly from one of the following: * From Anglo-Norman muste, moste, variants of moiste, muiste (“moist”), from Old French moiste (“clammy, damp, moist, wet”) (modern French moite (“muggy; sticky, sweaty”)), from a blend of Vulgar Latin *mucidus (from Latin mūcidus (“mouldy, musty”), from Old Latin mūceō (“to be mouldy or musty”) + -idus (suffix meaning ‘tending to’, forming adjectives)) + Latin mustum (“unfermented or partially fermented grape juice, must; new wine”) (from mustus (“fresh; young; unfermented”), from Proto-Indo-European *mus-, *mews- (“damp; moss”)). * From another language derived from the above Latin words (compare the cognates below). * A variant of Middle English mosty, moisti (“damp, humid, wet, moisty; of fruit: moist and juicy”) [and other forms] (perhaps influenced by must (“fruit (usually grape) juice which has been or will be fermented”)), from moist, moiste (“damp, humid; moist, wet; well-irrigated, well-watered; liquid; of ale: new; (figuratively) not withered, fresh; carnal, lascivious; raw, undisciplined”) (from Old French moiste: see above) + -i (suffix forming adjectives). Compare Middle French moisi (“mouldy”), an adjective use of the past participle of moisir (“(to cause) to go mouldy, to moulder”) (modern French moisir), from Latin mūcēre, the present active infinitive of Old Latin mūceō (“to be mouldy or musty”): see above. The English word is analysable as must (“mould; mustiness”) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of’ forming adjectives); however, must is thought to be a back-formation from musty. The noun and verb are derived from the adjective. Cognates * Catalan mústic, musti (“wilted, withered; gloomy, sad”) * Galician murcho, mucho (“wilted, withered”) * Old Occitan moste (Occitan moste, mosti, musti (“damp, wet”) (Gascon)) * Portuguese murcho (“wilted, withered; gloomy, sad”) * Spanish mustio (“wilted, withered; gloomy, sad”)
From musth (“time during which male elephants exhibit increased levels of sexual activity and aggressiveness”) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of’ forming adjectives).
Across languages
39 source translations are retained for this English entry.