*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of muss

Related to mess (“disorder”).

2 source sectionsBrief source recordWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 2 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
noun

A mess (disagreeable mixture or confusion of things; disorder). · A scramble, as when small objects are thrown down, to be taken by those who can seize them; a confused struggle.

verb

To rumple, tousle or make (something) untidy.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Related to mess (“disorder”).

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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  "lexical": [
    {
      "pos": "noun",
      "glosses": [
        "A mess (disagreeable mixture or confusion of things; disorder).",
        "A scramble, as when small objects are thrown down, to be taken by those who can seize them; a confused struggle."
      ],
      "tags": [
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      "sourceRecordOrdinal": 394114
    },
    {
      "pos": "verb",
      "glosses": [
        "To rumple, tousle or make (something) untidy."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "transitive"
      ],
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}

Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
noun

A term of endearment.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Compare Middle English mus (“a mouse”). See mouse.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

  • Cognate mentionmusenm
Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "args": {
        "1": "enm",
        "2": "mus",
        "3": "",
        "4": "a mouse"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English mus (“a mouse”)"
    }
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    ],
    [
      "mouse",
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    ]
  ],
  "references": [],
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  "lexical": [
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      "pos": "noun",
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for muss →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-bXVzcw