musty

comparative mustier · superlative mustiest

1. Affected by dampness or mould; damp, mildewed, mouldy.

   [H]ave your vvorms vvell ſcovvred and not kept in ſovvre or muſtie moſs; […]

   1653, Iz[aak] Wa[lton], chapter XI, in The Compleat Angler or The Contemplative Man’s Recreation. Being a Discourse of Fish and Fishing, […], London: […] T. Maxey for Rich[ard] Marriot, […], →OCLC; reprinted as The Compleat Angler (Homo Ludens; 6), Nieuwkoop, South Holland, Netherlands: Miland Publishers, 1969, →ISBN, page 199

   5 more examples

   [W]hẽ his wordes be wel ſifted, men ſhall find little fine flowre in thẽ, but all very muſtie branne, not worthy ſo muche as to fede either horſe or hogges.

   1532, Thomas More, “The Confutacion of [William] Tyndale’s Aunswere […]”, in Wyllyam Rastell [i.e., William Rastell], editor, The Workes of Sir Thomas More Knyght, […], London: […] Iohn Cawod, Iohn Waly, and Richarde Tottell, published 30 April 1557, →OCLC, page 649, column 2

   O vve muſt not regard vvhat he ſaies man, a Trout, a ſhallovv foole, he ha's no more braine than a Butterflie, a meer ſtuft ſuit, he looks like a muſtie Bottle, nevv vvickerd, his head's the Corke, light, light.

   1599 (first performance), B. I. [i.e., Ben Jonson], The Comicall Satyre of Euery Man out of His Humor. […], London: […] [Adam Islip] for William Holme, […], published 1600, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii, signature D, verso

   [W]aſt thou faine poore father, / To houill thee vvith ſvvine and rogues forlorne, / In ſhort and muſtie ſtravv, alack, alack, / Tis vvonder that thy life and vvits at once / Had not concluded all, […]

   c. 1603–1606 (date written), [William Shakespeare], […] His True Chronicle Historie of the Life and Death of King Lear and His Three Daughters. […] (First Quarto), London: […] Nathaniel Butter, […], published 1608, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vii]

   [C]ome prithee let's be gone out of this ungrateful Air of his old Houſe; a pox on't, I can ſmell the muſty Bed-mats, and Kitchen-dreſſers, above half a Mile before I come to't.

   [1703], Tho[mas] d’Urfey, The Old Mode & the New, or, Country Miss with Her Furbeloe. A Comedy. […], London: […] Bernard Lintott, and sold by Samuel Clark, […], Francis Faucet […], and Lucas Stowkey […], →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 11

   [I]n ſcarce and dear Times the Huſbandman hath little to ſell to advance his Stock, and the Buyers are uſually furniſhed vvith muſty bad Corn from Foreign Parts (vvho often buy our Corn vvhen cheap, and ſell it to us again vvhen dear) or from ſuch as vvere ignorant of the vvays of preſerving it.

   1708, J[ohn] Mortimer, “Of Preserving of Corn”, in The Whole Art of Husbandry; or, The Way of Managing and Improving of Land. […], 2nd edition, London: […] J[ohn] H[umphreys] for H[enry] Mortlock […], and J[onathan] Robinson […], →OCLC, book V, page 110

   Synonyms: fusty

2. Having an odour or taste of mould; also (generally), having a stale or unfresh odour or taste.

   musty food    musty furniture    a musty odour

   5 more examples

   You had muſty vittaile, and he hath holpe to eate it, he is a very valiaunt trencher man, he hath an excellent ſtomacke.

   1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, Much Adoe about Nothing. […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]

   Being entertain'd for a perfumer, as I was ſmoaking a muſty roome, comes me the prince and Claudio, hand in hand in ſad conference: […]

   1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, Much Adoe about Nothing. […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William Aspley, published 1600, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]

   Well, I haue almost mard their market, for Gentlemen especially, those that loue to smell sweete, for they are the worst Milliners in a kingdome, and their sutes beare the mustiest perfume of anything breathing, vnlesse it were an Usurers Night-cappe againe: […]

   1604, “The Meeting of Gallants at an Ordinarie: Or, The Walkes in Powles”, in J[ames] O[rchard] H[alliwell], editor, Early English Poetry, Ballads, and Popular Literature of the Middle Ages: Edited from Original Manuscripts and Scarce Publications, volume V, London: […] [F]or the Percy Society by T. Richards, published 1841, →OCLC, page 11

   'Sbuds! this Veniſon is muſty.

   1731 (date written), Simon Wagstaff [pseudonym; Jonathan Swift], “Dialogue II”, in A Complete Collection of Genteel and Ingenious Conversation, […], London: […] B[enjamin] Motte […], published 1738, →OCLC, page 141

   He knovvs to live, vvho keeps the middle ſtate, / And neither leans on this ſide, or on that: / Nor ſtops, for one bad Cork, his Butler's pay, / Svvears, like Albutius, a good Cook avvay; / Nor lets, like Nævius, ev'ry error paſs, / The muſty vvine, foul cloth, or greaſy glaſs.

   1734, [Alexander] Pope, The Second Satire of the Second Book of Horace Paraphrased, London: […] L[awton] G[illiver] […], →OCLC, page 9, lines 61–66

   Synonyms: fusty

3. Characteristic of or relating to mould or mouldiness.

   Not knowing what "swipes" might be, I thought I would run the risk and try it; but it proved a miserable beverage, with a musty, sour flavor, as if it had been a decoction of spoiled pickles.

   1849, Herman Melville, “He Goes to Supper at the Sign of the Baltimore Clipper”, in Redburn: His First Voyage. […], 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC, page 172

4. figurativelyOf attitudes, ideas, writing, or other abstract things: no longer fresh or interesting; outdated, stale.

   [W]hile the graſſe grovves, the Prouerbe is ſomething muſty.

   c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii], page 269, column 1

   2 more examples

   An antiquarie is an honest man, for he had rather scrape a piece of copper out of the durt, than a crowne out of Plodion's standish. I know manie wise gentlemen of this mustie vocation, […]

   1592, Thomas Nash[e], Pierce Penilesse His Supplication to the Deuill. […], London: […] [John Charlewood for] Richard Ihones, […], →OCLC

   Have done, I beg you, vvith your muſty Reflections: You but interrupt the Examination.

   1729 April, [John] Gay, Polly: An Opera. Being the Second Part of The Beggar’s Opera, London: […] T. Thomson [actually by James Watson and Samuel Aris for Thomas Astley], […], →OCLC, Act II, scene i, page 51

   Synonyms: outmoded

5. figurativelyOf a person: boring and unadventurous; also, old-fashioned, stuck in the past.

   My friend the doctor was a thorough antiquary: a little rusty, musty old fellow, always groping among ruins.

   1824, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “The Adventure of the Little Antiquary”, in Tales of a Traveller, part 3 (The Italian Banditti), Philadelphia, Pa.: H[enry] C[harles] Carey & I[saac] Lea, […], →OCLC, page 33

   2 more examples

   [T]hey ſettle upon their ovvn dregs, and grovv muddy and muſty vvith long eaſe, and their proſperity befooleth them to their ovvn deſtruction.

   1637 July (date delivered), Robert Sanderson, “[Ad Aulam.] Sermon VI. Otelands, July 1637.”, in XXXIV Sermons. […], 5th edition, London: […] [A. Clark] for A. Seil, and are to be sold by G. Sawbridge, […], published 1671, →OCLC, paragraph 10, page 81

   [B]eing married to a bookish man, who has no knowledge of the world, she is forced to take their affairs into her own hands, and to spirit him up now and then, that he may not grow musty, and unfit for conversation.

   1712 September 22 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “THURSDAY, September 12, 1712”, in The Spectator, number 482; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume V, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, page 375

   Synonyms: fogeyish

6. figurativelyarchaic except Northern England (northwest)Bad-tempered, grumpy, irritable.

   He is monſtrous vexed, and muſty, at my Cheſſe-play; […]

   1623 January 5 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), John Fletcher, Philip Massinger, “The Spanish Curat”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1647, →OCLC, Act IV, scene iii, page 41, column 1

   3 more examples

   The ill-vvounded Don Quixote vvas exceeding muſty and melancholy, vvith his face bound vp, and ſcarred not by the hand of God, but by the nayles of a Cat (misfortunes annexed to Knight Errantry) ſixe dayes paſt ere hee came abroad: […]

   1620, [Miguel de Cervantes], “What Hapned to Don Quixote with Donna Rodriguez, the Duchesses Waiting-woman; with Other Successes, Worthy to be Written, and had in Eternall Remembrance”, in Thomas Shelton, transl., The Second Part of the History of the Valorous and Witty Knight-errant, Don Quixote of the Mancha. […], London: […] [Eliot’s Court Press] for Edward Blount, →OCLC, part 1, page 30

   VVhat a devil makes thee in ſo muſty a humour? Thou art as dull and dumpiſh as a fellovv that had been drunk over night vvith Ale, and had done nothing but drunk Coffee, talked Politicks, and read Gazettes all this morning.

   1672, Thomas Shadwell, The Miser: A Comedy, […], London: […] Thomas Collins and John Ford, […], →OCLC, Act I, page 1

   Here comes the muſty trader, running over vvith remonſtrances. I muſt banter the cit.

   1760 January 28 (first performance), [Samuel] Foote, The Minor, a Comedy. […], London: […] J. Coote, […]; G[eorge] Kearsly, […]; T[homas] Davies, […], published 1760, →OCLC, Act II, page 56

1. obsoleteuncountableA type of snuff with a musty flavour (adjective sense 2).

present singular third person musties · participle present mustying · participle past mustied · past mustied · first person past singular mustied · archaic present second person singular mustiest · past second person singular mustied · archaic past second person singular mustiedst · present singular third person musties · archaic present singular third person mustieth · past singular third person mustied · past plural mustied · past subjunctive mustied · participle present mustying · participle past mustied

1. intransitiveobsoleteTo turn musty (adjective sense 1 or 2); to must.

   Wi[lding]. But harke thee, harke thee VVill, did'ſt vvinne it? / Ha[zard]. No, but I may looſe it ere I goe to bed. / Doſt think't ſhall muſtie, vvhat's a hundred pound?

   1633 November 21 (date licensed; Gregorian calendar), Iames Shirly [i.e., James Shirley], The Gamester. […], London: […] Iohn Norton, for Andrew Crooke, and William Cooke, published 1637, →OCLC, Act II, signature [C4], recto

comparative more musty · superlative most musty · alternative musthy

1. rareOf a male animal such as a camel or an elephant: in musth.