muster

noun mus·ter \ ˈməs-tər \

Updated on: 20 May 2018

Definition of muster

1 : a representative specimen (see specimen 1) : sample

musters of goods for sale

2 a : an act of assembling; specifically : formal military inspection

Call out the troops to stand muster.

b : critical examination

slipshod work that would never pass muster

c : an assembled group : collection

a muster of biographical facts
—Time

d : inventory

were sent … to take the musters of this expedition
—G. R. Elton

See muster defined for English-language learners

Examples of muster in a Sentence

a muster of concerned citizens
considering the muster of suggestions that were submitted for “word of the year”

Recent Examples of muster from the Web

In 1996, the foundation taped six ‘‘pilot’’ interviews — industry lingo for an episode used to decide if a TV project passes muster.

— lynn elber, BostonGlobe.com, "Something new to binge-watch: TV’s rich history of itself," 15 May 2018
But Schonekas did not pass muster with the Trump administration, The New Orleans Advocate reported.

— drew broach, NOLA.com, "For U.S. attorney in New Orleans, and 28 other districts, still no Trump nominee," 9 May 2018
And when the team would come in the next day, Carey would be responsible for collecting the schedules, and figuring which ones were the most attractive, and might pass muster with Katz, the veteran final gatekeeper.

— peter king, SI.com, "NFL Schedule Release: Inside the Process That Gave Us the 2018 256-Game Slate," 19 Apr. 2018
Legally, this justification for deadly police shootings—that the cops’ feared for their safety—has consistently passed muster, in California and elsewhere.

— matt ford, The New Republic, "A New Law to Reduce Deadly Police Shootings," 5 Apr. 2018
The cryptocurrency boom has largely been driven by the craze for ICOs—many of which might not pass muster with the SEC.

— timothy b. lee, Ars Technica, "Bitcoin falls 10 percent after SEC warns about unregulated exchanges," 7 Mar. 2018
But concerns that such a deal could not possibly pass muster with Iran will not deter them, a senior official said.

— mark landler, david e. sanger and gardiner harris, New York Times, "Rewrite Iran Deal? Europeans Offer a Different Solution: A New Chapter," 26 Feb. 2018
And yes, failing to disclose foreign contacts, let alone three times, would typically jeopardize one’s chances at passing muster with the FBI.

— chas danner, Daily Intelligencer, "Report: Kushner Requests More Intel Than Any Non-NSC Employee at White House," 17 Feb. 2018
Both the Broad’s and Mammoth’s methods need more work to demonstrate their accuracy before passing regulatory muster.

— megan molteni, WIRED, "A New Startup Wants to Use Crispr to Diagnose Disease," 26 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'muster.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of muster

Middle English mustre, from Anglo-French mostre, monstre, from mustrer

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

muster Synonyms

Synonyms

array, assemblage, band, bank, batch, battery, block, bunch, clot, clump, cluster, clutch, collection, constellation, group, grouping, huddle, knot, lot, package, parcel, passel, set, suite;

Near Antonyms

entity, item, single, unit;

agglomeration, assortment, hodgepodge, jumble, miscellany, mixture, odds and ends, sundries, variety;

cycle, run, series, suit;

Phrases

the whole kit and caboodle;

Other Military Terms

bivouac, logistics, petard, salient, sally, supernumerary, tactical

muster

verb

Definition of muster

mustered; mustering play \-t(ə-)riŋ\

transitive verb

1 a : to cause to gather : convene

b : to enroll formally —usually used with in or into

was mustered into the army

c : to call the roll of

2 a : to bring together : collect

b : to call forth : rouse

3 : to amount to : comprise

intransitive verb

: to come together : congregate

See muster defined for English-language learners

See muster defined for kids

Examples of muster in a Sentence

They pushed the car with all the strength they could muster.
a command to muster the troops

Recent Examples of muster from the Web

In a mirror of the first half the Reds continued to dominate possession as the Baggies made an effort to catch the visitors on the break, but neither side proved capable of mustering a clear opportunity on goal.

— SI.com, "WATCH: West Brom Strikes Back From Two Goals Down Against Liverpool," 21 Apr. 2018
And if the rage being mustered against him is any clue, the most fearsome contender might be Kirsten Gillibrand—the outspoken New York senator who’s suddenly become the face of a powerful political moment.

— jason zengerle, GQ, "Kirsten Gillibrand, the Senator From the State of #MeToo," 17 Apr. 2018
The yardage and touchdown numbers were both higher than anything Michigan's three passers (Peters, Speight, John O'Korn) mustered through 13 games last season.

— nick baumgardner, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan football's Shea Patterson still competing despite unclear situation," 12 Apr. 2018
That’s the best defense solid rocket supporters can muster against the more precise control of a liquid engine.

— joe pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "The Rocket Fuel Rivalry Shaping the Future of Spaceflight," 10 Apr. 2018
After mustering up some semblance of a personal anecdote, Lauren is gifted a rose anyway for simply managing to stay awake.

— justin kirkland, USA TODAY, "'The Bachelor' recap: Kendall takes on Krystal, three women leave," 5 Feb. 2018
However, despite mustering a couple of shots on Tucson goalie Adin Hill, San Diego failed to find the net and Tucson also successfully fought off a minute of a five-on-four power play as well.

— ivan carter, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Gulls lose ground on first-place Roadrunners with loss at home," 13 Jan. 2018
One side is fighting overconfidence, the other is trying to muster up more confidence.

— gilbert garcia, San Antonio Express-News, "New poll helps both O’Rourke and Cruz," 19 Apr. 2018
Mayor Lee vetoed the measure, and Breed was unable to muster an eight-vote majority needed to override the veto.

— dominic fracassa, San Francisco Chronicle, "SF mayoral hopefuls walk fine line debating tech’s impact," 16 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of muster

Middle English mustren to show, muster, from Anglo-French mustrer, monstrer, from Latin monstrare to show, from monstrum evil omen, monster — more at monster

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

muster Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of muster

summon, call, cite, convoke, convene, muster mean to demand the presence of. summon implies the exercise of authority.

- was summoned to answer charges

call may be used less formally for summon.

- called the legislature into special session

cite implies a summoning to court usually to answer a charge.

- cited for drunken driving

convoke implies a summons to assemble for deliberative or legislative purposes.

- convoked a Vatican council

convene is somewhat less formal than convoke.

- convened the students

muster suggests a calling up of a number of things that form a group in order that they may be exhibited, displayed, or utilized as a whole.

- mustered the troops

MUSTER Defined for English Language Learners

muster

noun

Definition of muster for English Language Learners

: a formal military gathering to examine or test soldiers

muster

verb

Definition of muster for English Language Learners

: to work hard to find or get (courage, support, etc.)
: to gather together (a group of people, soldiers, etc.) especially for battle or war

MUSTER Defined for Kids

muster

noun mus·ter \ ˈmə-stər \

Definition of muster for Students

1 : a formal gathering of military troops for inspection

2 : an act of careful examination or consideration to determine whether something is acceptable or good enough

Your excuses will not pass muster.

muster

verb

Definition of muster for Students

mustered; mustering

1 : to call together (as troops) for roll call or inspection

2 : to bring into being or action

I shall await your arrival with all the eagerness I can muster.
—E. B. White, Stuart Little

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muster

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Other Military Terms

muster

Definition of muster

Examples of muster in a Sentence

Recent Examples of muster from the Web

Origin and Etymology of muster

muster Synonyms

Synonyms

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Near Antonyms

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Synonym Discussion of muster

MUSTER Defined for English Language Learners

muster

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muster

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