Word of the Day: June 3, 2009 - amuse

amuse (uh-myooz) - verb

Amuse means "to occupy in an agreeable, pleasing, or entertaining fashion."

First used in the written form around 1470–1480. Amuse is most likely a French creation, formed with the prefix a- from the verb muser. The current meaning of amuse ("to entertain") did not begin to emerge until the 17th century, and even so, the most common application of the verb in the 17th and 18th centuries was "to deceive; cheat." This seems to have developed from an earlier meaning("bewilder, puzzle"), pointing back to an original sense "make someone stare open-mouthed." This links with the probable source of muser, namely muse, from medieval Latin. There is no connection with the inspirational muse, responsible for music and museums.

Photo by tenioman