amuser

English

Etymology

From amuse + -erCategory:English terms suffixed with -er (agent noun)#AMUSER.

Noun

amuser (plural amusers)Category:English lemmas#AMUSERCategory:English nouns#AMUSERCategory:English countable nouns#AMUSERCategory:English entries with incorrect language header#AMUSERCategory:Pages with entries#AMUSERCategory:Pages with 3 entries#AMUSER

  1. Someone who amuses.
  2. (obsoleteCategory:English terms with obsolete senses#AMUSER) One who diverts attention, usually to distract or bewilder, often for fraudulent purposes; hence a cheat, deceiver or thief.
  3. (historicalCategory:English terms with historical senses#AMUSER, early 19th century) One of a class of rogues who carry snuff or dust in their pockets, which they throw into the eyes of people so as to enable their accomplices to rob them while pretending to help them.
    • 1993, Stella Cameron, Only by Your Touch, HarperCollins, page 88:
      He should have knowed better than to tangle with you, Miss Lindsay. Where did you learn to be an amuser, then?
      Category:English terms with quotations#AMUSER
    • 2002, various authors, Gangs of New York (film), Miramax Films, Entertainment Film Distributors:
      BOSS TWEED — No one important, necessarily. Average men will do. Back alley amusers with no affiliations.
    • 2013, Michelle Lovric, The Remedy, Bloomsbury, page 59:
      Valentine watches the bunch of amusers close around the politician, the leader already dipping into his pocket for the snuff to fling into the eyes of their victim.
      Category:English terms with quotations#AMUSER

Translations

Anagrams

Category:en:People#AMUSER

French

Etymology

    Category:French terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European word *h₂éd#AMUSERCategory:French terms derived from Latin#AMUSERCategory:French terms derived from Old French#AMUSERCategory:French terms derived from Middle French#AMUSERCategory:French terms derived from Proto-Italic#AMUSERCategory:French terms derived from Proto-Indo-European#AMUSERCategory:French terms inherited from Middle French#AMUSERCategory:French terms inherited from Old French#AMUSERCategory:Pages with etymology trees#AMUSERCategory:French entries with etymology trees#AMUSERCategory:Pages with inline etymon for redlinks#AMUSERCategory:Pages using etymon with no ID#AMUSER

    Inherited from Middle FrenchCategory:French terms inherited from Middle French#AMUSERCategory:French terms derived from Middle French#AMUSER amuser (to amuse, divert, babble), from Old FrenchCategory:French terms inherited from Old French#AMUSERCategory:French terms derived from Old French#AMUSER amuser (to stupefy, waste time, be lost in thought), from a- + muser (to stare stupidly at, gape, wander, waste time, loiter, think carefully about, attend to), of uncertain and obscure origin. Cognate with Occitan musa (idle waiting), Italian musare (to gape idly about). Possibly from Old French *mus (snout) from Vulgar LatinCategory:French terms inherited from Vulgar Latin#AMUSERCategory:French terms derived from Vulgar Latin#AMUSER *mūsa (snout) (compare Medieval Latin mūsum (muzzle, snout)), from Proto-GermanicCategory:French terms derived from Proto-Germanic#AMUSER *mū- (muzzle, snout), from Proto-Indo-EuropeanCategory:French terms derived from Proto-Indo-European#AMUSER *mū- (lips, muzzle). Compare German Maul (muzzle, snout).

    An alternative etymology connects Old French muser and Occitan musa with Old High GermanCategory:French terms derived from Old High German#AMUSER muoza (careful attention, leisure, idleness), from Proto-GermanicCategory:French terms derived from Proto-Germanic#AMUSER *mōtǭ (leave, permission), from Proto-Indo-EuropeanCategory:French terms derived from Proto-Indo-European#AMUSER *med- (to acquire, possess, control). Compare also Old High German muozōn (to be idle, have leisure or opportunity), German Muße (leisure). More at empty.

    Pronunciation

    Verb

    amuserCategory:French lemmas#AMUSERCategory:French verbs#AMUSERCategory:French entries with incorrect language header#AMUSERCategory:Pages with entries#AMUSERCategory:Pages with 3 entries#AMUSER

    1. (transitiveCategory:French transitive verbs#AMUSER) to amuse, to entertain
    2. (reflexiveCategory:French reflexive verbs#AMUSER, s'amuser) to have fun, to enjoy oneself

    Conjugation

    Derived terms

    Descendants

    Further reading

    Anagrams

    Norman

    Alternative forms

    Etymology

    From Old FrenchCategory:Norman terms inherited from Old French#AMUSERCategory:Norman terms derived from Old French#AMUSER amuser (to stupefy, waste time, be lost in thought), from a- + muser (to stare stupidly at, gape, wander, waste time, loiter, think carefully about, attend to), of uncertain and obscure origin.

    Verb

    amuserCategory:Norman lemmas#AMUSERCategory:Norman verbs#AMUSERCategory:Norman entries with incorrect language header#AMUSERCategory:Pages with entries#AMUSERCategory:Pages with 3 entries#AMUSER

    1. (JerseyCategory:Jersey Norman#AMUSER) This term needs a translation to English. Please help out and add a translation, then remove the text {{rfdef}}.Category:Requests for definitions in Norman entries#AMUSER
    Category:English countable nouns Category:English lemmas Category:English nouns Category:English terms suffixed with -er (agent noun) Category:English terms with historical senses Category:English terms with obsolete senses Category:English terms with quotations Category:Entries with translation boxes Category:French 3-syllable words Category:French entries with etymology trees Category:French first group verbs Category:French lemmas Category:French reflexive verbs Category:French terms derived from Latin Category:French terms derived from Middle French Category:French terms derived from Old French Category:French terms derived from Old High German Category:French terms derived from Proto-Germanic Category:French terms derived from Proto-Indo-European Category:French terms derived from Proto-Italic Category:French terms derived from Vulgar Latin Category:French terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European word *h₂éd Category:French terms inherited from Middle French Category:French terms inherited from Old French Category:French terms inherited from Vulgar Latin Category:French terms with IPA pronunciation Category:French terms with audio pronunciation Category:French transitive verbs Category:French verbs Category:French verbs with conjugation -er Category:Jersey Norman Category:Norman lemmas Category:Norman terms derived from Old French Category:Norman terms inherited from Old French Category:Norman verbs Category:Pages using etymon with no ID Category:Pages with 3 entries Category:Pages with entries Category:Pages with etymology trees Category:Pages with inline etymon for redlinks Category:Requests for definitions in Norman entries Category:Terms with Polish translations Category:Terms with Portuguese translations Category:en:People