What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Must vs Mush - What's the difference?

must | mush |

As nouns the difference between must and mush

is that must is something that is mandatory or required or must can be the property of being stale or musty or must can be a time during which male elephants exhibit increased levels of sexual activity and aggressiveness (also musth) while mush is a form of multi-user dungeon, often used for online social intercourse and role-playing games.

As a verb must

is to do with certainty; (indicates that the speaker is certain that the subject will have executed the predicate) or must can be to make musty.

must

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) . More at .

Verb

(head)
  • to do with certainty; (indicates that the speaker is certain that the subject will have executed the predicate)
    • If it has rained all day, it must be very wet outside.
    You picked one of two, and it wasn't the first: it must have been the second.
    The children must be asleep by now.
    • You must arrive in class on time. — the requirement is an imperative
    This door handle must be rotated fully. — the requirement is a directive
    Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. (Bible, Acts 9:6)
    Quotations
    * 1936 , , More Poems , IX, lines 3-6 *: Forth I wander, forth I must , *: And drink of life again. *: Forth I must by hedgerow bowers *: To look at the leaves uncurled * 1937 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit *: We must away ere break of day *: To seek the pale enchanted gold. * 1968 Fritz Leiber, Swords in the Mist *: Whereupon while one patched or napped, the other must stand guard against inquisitive two- and three-headed dragons and even an occasional monocephalic.
    Usage notes
    * (sense) Compare with weaker auxiliary verb (should), indicating a strong probability of the predicate's execution. * (sense) Compare with weaker auxiliary verb (should), indicating mere intent for the predicate's execution; and stronger auxiliary verb (will), indicating that the negative consequence will be unusually severe. * The past tense of "must" is also "must"; however, this usage is almost always literary (see Fritz Leiber quotation above). The past sense is usually conveyed by (had to). It is possible to use (be bound to) for the past also. For this reason, (have to) and (be bound to) are also used as alternatives to (must) in the present and future. * The principal verb, if easily supplied, may be omitted. In modern usage this is mainly literary (see Housman and Tolkien quotations above). * (term) is unusual in its negation. (term) still expresses a definite certainty or requirement, with the predicate negated. (term), on the other hand, is negated in the usual manner. Compare: :: You must not' read that book. (''It '''is''' necessary that you '''not read that book. ) :: You need not' read that book. (''It '''is not necessary that you read that book. ) * The second person singular no longer adds "-est" (as it did in Old English).
    See also
    *

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • Something that is mandatory or required
    • If you'll be out all day, a map is a must .
    Synonyms
    * imperative
    Antonyms
    * no-no

    Etymology 2

    (etyl) must, most, from (etyl) mustum

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The property of being stale or musty
  • Something that exhibits the property of being stale or musty
  • Fruit juice that will ferment or has fermented, usually grapes
  • * Longfellow
    • No fermenting must fills the deep vats.

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To make musty.
  • To become musty.
    • External links
    * (wikipedia "must")

    Etymology 3

    (etyl) .

    Noun

  • A time during which male elephants exhibit increased levels of sexual activity and aggressiveness (also musth)
  • * 1936 , George Orwell, Shooting an Elephant'' essay in magazine ''New Writing
    • It was not, of course, a wild elephant, but a tame one which had gone ‘must’.

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * 200 English basic words English auxiliary verbs English defective verbs English irregular verbs 1000 English basic words ----

    mush

    English

    Etymology 1

    Probably a variant of mash, or from a dialectal variant of (etyl) mos . See also .

    Noun

    (mushes)
  • (uncountable) A mess, often of food; a soft or semisolid substance.
    • Mom said to add the potatoes to the mush .

    Verb

  • To squish so as to break into smaller pieces or to combine with something else.
    • He mushed the ingredients together.

    Derived terms

    * apple-mush * mushy

    See also

    * mash * moosh

    Etymology 2

    Simple contraction of mushroom.

    Noun

    (mushes)
  • (Quebecois English, slang) magic mushrooms
    • Synonyms
    * shroom (slang)

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl) muos and (etyl) , or any thick preparation of fruit.

    Noun

    (-)
  • A food comprising cracked or rolled grains cooked in water or milk; porridge.
  • (rural USA) cornmeal cooked in water and served as a porridge or as a thick sidedish like grits or mashed potatoes.

    • Etymology 4

    Believed to be a contraction of mush on, in turn a corruption of (etyl) , the cry of the voyageurs and coureurs de bois to their dogs.

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • A directive given (usually to dogs or a horse) to start moving, or to move faster.
    • When the lone cowboy saw the Indians, he yelled mush , cha, giddyup!

    Noun

    (mushes)
  • A walk, especially across the snow with dogs.

    • Verb

  • To walk, especially across the snow with dogs.
  • To drive dogs, usually pulling a sled, across the snow.
  • * 1910 , Jack London,
    • Together the two men loaded and lashed the sled. They warmed their hands for the last time, pulled on their mittens, and mushed the dogs over the bank and down to the river-trail.

    Etymology 5

    From (etyl) .

    Noun

    (mushes)
  • (British, primarily Southern England, slang) A form of address to a man.
  • :* "'Oy, mush ! Get out of it!'
    That's what we'd say
    Barging the locals
    Out of the way"
    — MAUREEN AND DOREEN AND NOREEN AND ME'', ''Peculiar Poems , [http://www.jclamb.com/]
  • :* "When I'm around it's not uncommon for someone to call me and say :'Oy mush , get your bum over here and give us a hand.'" — THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING: In Which King Arthur Uther Pendragon Grants An Interview [http://arthurpendragon.ukonline.co.uk/arthur.html]
  • (British, primarily Northern England, slang) The face
  • :* "My ugly mush finally found its way onto the www, but not in the manner to which I deserved." — [http://owlfarm.pmgr.net/aspen/hst16.htm]
  • :* 2002:"I grew my face fungus to cover up an ugly mush ." — [http://www.maggotdrowning.com/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=809]
  • :* "and your bird has an ugly mush " — [http://b3ta.com/board/archive/21323/]
    • Synonyms
    * (form of address to a man) mate (UK), pal (especially US) * (the face) mug

    References

    * Take Our Word for It Issue 101, accessed on 2005-05-09

    Etymology 6

    Compare (etyl) .

    Verb

  • To notch, cut, or indent (cloth, etc.) with a stamp.

    • Anagrams

    * English heteronyms English intransitive verbs English terms with multiple etymologies ----