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mus·ter

(mŭstər)

v. mus·tered, mus·ter·ing, mus·ters

v.tr.

1. To call (troops) together, as for inspection.

2. To cause to come together; gather: Bring all the volunteers you can muster.

3. To bring into existence or readiness; summon up: mustering up her strength for the ordeal. See Synonyms at call.

v.intr.

To assemble or gather: mustering for inspection.

a. A gathering, especially of troops, for service, inspection, review, or roll call.

b. The persons assembled for such a gathering.

2. A muster roll.

3. A gathering or collection: a muster of business leaders at a luncheon.

4. A flock of peacocks.

Phrasal Verbs:

muster in

To enlist or be enlisted in military service: She mustered in at the age of 18.

muster out

To discharge or be discharged from military service: He was mustered out when the war ended.

Idiom:

pass muster

To be judged as acceptable.

[Middle English mustren, from Old French moustrer, from Latin mōnstrāre, to show, from mōnstrum, sign, portent, from monēre, to warn; see men-¹ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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