muss

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

muss, n. [Cf. OF. mousche a fly, also, the play called muss, fr. L. musca a fly.].

 A scramble, as when small objects are thrown down, to be taken by those who can seize them; a confused struggle.  Shak.  [1913 Webster]

muss, n. 

 A state of confusion or disorder; -- prob. variant of mess, but influenced by muss, a scramble.  [1913 Webster]

muss, v. t. 

 To disarrange, as clothing; to rumple; -- often used with up; as, the wind mussed up my hair.  [1913 Webster]

muss, n. [Cf. OE. mus a mouse. See Mouse.].

 A term of endearment.  B. Jonson.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

muss, v. & n. US colloq.
--v.tr. (often foll. by up) disarrange; throw into disorder.
--n. a state of confusion; untidiness, mess.

Derivative

mussy adj.

Etymology

app. var. of MESS

THESAURUS

muss

botch, botchery, broil, clutter, derange, disarrange, disarray, dishevel, dislocate, disorder, disorganize, donnybrook, fracas, fray, free-for-all, hash, knock-down-and-drag-out, litter, melee, mess, mess up, misarrange, mix-up, muddle, mull, muss up, ruction, ruffle, rumple, scatter, set-to, shambles, tousle

ROGET THESAURUS

muss

Disorder

N disorder, derangement, irregularity, anomaly, anarchy, anarchism, want of method, untidiness, disunion, discord, confusion, confusedness, mishmash, mix, disarray, jumble, huddle, litter, lumber, cahotage, farrago, mess, mash, muddle, muss, hash, hodgepodge, hotch-potch, hotch-pot, imbroglio, chaos, omnium gatherum, medley, mere mixture, fortuitous concourse of atoms, disjecta membra, rudis indigestaque moles, complexity, turmoil, ferment, to-do, trouble, pudder, pother, row, rumble, disturbance, hubbub, convulsion, tumult, uproar, revolution, riot, rumpus, stour, scramble, brawl, fracas, rhubarb, fight, free-for-all, row, ruction, rumpus, embroilment, melee, spill and pelt, rough and tumble, whirlwind, bear garden, Babel, Saturnalia, donnybrook, Donnybrook Fair, confusion worse confounded, most admired disorder, concordia discors, Bedlam, all hell broke loose, bull in a china shop, all the fat in the fire, diable a' quatre, Devil to pay, pretty kettle of fish, pretty piece of work, pretty piece of business, disorderly person, disorderly persons offence, misdemeanor, slattern, slut (libertine), disorderly, orderless, out of order, out of place, out of gear, irregular, desultory, anomalous, acephalous, deranged, aimless, disorganized, straggling, unmethodical, immethodical, unsymmetric, unsystematic, untidy, slovenly, dislocated, out of sorts, promiscuous, indiscriminate, chaotic, anarchical, unarranged &c (arrange), confused, deranged, topsy-turvy, shapeless, disjointed, out of joint, troublous, riotous, complex, irregularly, by fits, by fits and snatches, by fits and starts, pellmell, higgledy-piggledy, helter-skelter, harum-scarum, in a ferment, at sixes and sevens, at cross-purposes, upside down, the cart before the horse, hysteron proteron, chaos is come again, the wreck of matter and the crush of worlds.

Derangement

VB derange, disarrange, misarrange, displace, misplace, mislay, discompose, disorder, deorganize, discombobulate, disorganize, embroil, unsettle, disturb, confuse, trouble, perturb, jumble, tumble, shuffle, randomize, huddle, muddle, toss, hustle, fumble, riot, bring into disorder, put into disorder, throw into disorder, muss, break the ranks, disconcert, convulse, break in upon, unhinge, dislocate, put out of joint, throw out of gear, turn topsy-turvy, bedevil, complicate, involve, perplex, confound, imbrangle, embrangle, tangle, entangle, ravel, tousle, towzle, dishevel, ruffle, rumple, litter, scatter, mix, rearrange.