Must

//məst// noun, verb

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    highly recommended wordnet
Noun
  1. 1
    Something that is mandatory, required or recommended. auxiliary, defective, modal

    "If you're trekking all day, a map is a must."

  2. 2
    The property of being stale or musty. auxiliary, countable, defective, modal, uncountable
  3. 3
    Alternative spelling of musth. alt-of, alternative, auxiliary, countable, defective, modal, uncountable

    "No animal in the world is so dangerous as an elephant in must."

  4. 4
    the quality of smelling or tasting old or stale or mouldy wordnet
  5. 5
    Something that exhibits the property of being stale or musty. auxiliary, countable, defective, modal, uncountable
Show 3 more definitions
  1. 6
    grape juice before or during fermentation wordnet
  2. 7
    Fruit juice that will ferment or has fermented, usually from grapes. auxiliary, countable, defective, modal, uncountable

    "No sweet grape lies hidden here in the shade of its vine-leaves, No fermenting must fills and o'erflows the deep vats."

  3. 8
    a necessary or essential thing wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To do as a requirement; indicates that the sentence subject is required as an imperative or directive to execute the sentence predicate, with failure to do so resulting in a failure or negative consequence. auxiliary, defective, modal, no-past-participle, no-present-participle

    "You must arrive in class on time."

  2. 2
    To make musty. auxiliary, defective, modal, transitive
  3. 3
    To do with certainty; indicates that the speaker is certain that the subject will have executed the predicate. auxiliary, defective, modal, no-past-participle, no-present-participle

    "If it has rained all day, it must be very wet outside."

  4. 4
    To become musty. auxiliary, defective, intransitive, modal
  5. 5
    Used to indicate that something is very likely, probable, or certain to be true. auxiliary, defective, modal, no-past-participle, no-present-participle

    "The children must be asleep by now."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English moste ("must", literally, "had to", the past tense of Middle English moten (“to have to”)), from Old English mōste (“had to”), 1st & 3rd person singular past tense of mōtan (“to be allowed, be able to, have the opportunity to, be compelled to, must, may”), from Proto-Germanic *mōtaną. Cognate with Dutch moest (“had to”), German musste (“had to”), Swedish måste (“must, have to, be obliged to”). More at mote.

Etymology 2

From Middle English moste ("must", literally, "had to", the past tense of Middle English moten (“to have to”)), from Old English mōste (“had to”), 1st & 3rd person singular past tense of mōtan (“to be allowed, be able to, have the opportunity to, be compelled to, must, may”), from Proto-Germanic *mōtaną. Cognate with Dutch moest (“had to”), German musste (“had to”), Swedish måste (“must, have to, be obliged to”). More at mote.

Etymology 3

From Middle English must, from Old English must and Old French must, most, both from Latin mustum.

Etymology 4

From Middle English must, from Old English must and Old French must, most, both from Latin mustum.

Etymology 5

See musth.

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