muss Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a state of confusion and disorderliness
    mess; messiness; mussiness.
    • the house was a mess
    • she smoothed the mussiness of the bed
  2. noun type genus of the Muridae: common house mice; the tips of the upper incisors have a square notch
    genus Mus; Mus.
  3. verb make messy or untidy
    tussle.
    • the child mussed up my hair

WordNet

Muss noun
Etymology
Cf. OF. mousche a fly, also, the play called muss, fr. L. musca a fly.
Definitions
  1. A scramble, as when small objects are thrown down, to be taken by those who can seize them; a confused struggle. Shak.
Muss noun
Definitions
  1. A state of confusion or disorder; -- prob. variant of mess, but influenced by muss, a scramble. Colloq. U.S.
Muss transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Mussed ; present participle & verbal noun Mussing
Definitions
  1. To disarrange, as clothing; to rumple. Colloq. U.S. often used with up = muss up
Muss noun
Etymology
Cf. OE. mus a mouse. See Mouse.
Definitions
  1. A term of endearment. Obs. See Mouse. B. Jonson.

Webster 1913