Etymology: Apparently an imitative alteration of mash n.¹ Compare mush v.²With sense 1 perhaps compare Dutch moes (see moose n.¹). Although not attested until the early 19th cent., sense 4a (the presumed basic sense) is probably older than the existing evidence suggests. Eng. Dial. Dict. s.v. records an 18th-cent. Scots variant musk in sense 4a (see quot. below); however, Sc. National Dict. s.v. Musk n.³ explains this word as a variant of, or an error for, mask n.², compare:1757 R. Maxwell Pract. Husbandman 153 Take as much Water as will fully cover the Quantity of Grain... Boil all these till the Grain is reduced to a Musk.

Etymology: Origin uncertain; perhaps originally a variant of muss n.¹; or perhaps an alteration of mug n.³, after mush n.¹ or mush v.²

Etymology: Shortened < mushroom n., with reference to the similarity in shape.

Etymology: Origin uncertain; perhaps < mush n.³ (either because the passenger was sheltered by an umbrella, or for the reason given in quot. 1974), or perhaps < mush v.³ (see quot. 1975 at musher n.², and compare marche-donc n.). Compare slightly earlier musher n.², mushing n.²

Etymology: < mush v.³ Compare slightly earlier musher n.³

Etymology: Probably short for mush-head n.J. E. Lighter Hist. Dict. Amer. Slang (1997) at cited word suggests a possible alternative etymology as an alteration of mug n.⁶, after mush n.²

Etymology: Origin uncertain; perhaps an extended sense of mush n.¹ (compare porridge n. 4).

Etymology: Probably < Angloromani mush man (1863 as moosh in B. C. Smart Dial. Eng. Gypsies; compare Welsh Romani mūrš ) < Romani murš , by metathesis and dissimilation (compare Greek nomadic Romani mruš ) < Sanskrit manuṣya human being, man (see monnisher n.).

Etymology: Shortened < moustache n.

Etymology: Probably shortened < mushed adj.¹

Etymology: < Middle French, French moucher to cut, trim (1530 in Palsgrave; now archaic), to take off the end of a candle (1380; 11th cent. in Old French in sense ‘to blow the nose’: see mouchoir n.); compare the derivative verb moucheter to pink, cut with small cuts (1611 in Cotgrave; now archaic).

Etymology: Apparently an imitative alteration of mash v.¹, or perhaps directly < mush n.¹ (although this is first attested slightly later in this sense).

Etymology: Apparently either < French marche or < French marchons, respectively 2nd singular and 1st plural imperative of marcher (see march v.²); compare French marche donc! , a common command to horses to walk on (see marche-donc n.). Compare mush n.⁵Compare the following:1940 Amer. Speech 15 326 Mush,..Etymology usually given as abbr. from ‘mush on’ from Fr. ‘marchons’... Nobody mentions the imperative singular form ‘marche’, which, however, is supported by the following: ‘The French voyageur was in evidence in the early days, with his dog train. He would talk to his dogs in his own language and say “Marsh, marsh, marsh dog”.’ Superior [Winnipeg] Telegram, July 23, 1910.

Etymology: < mush n.¹

Etymology: Origin uncertain; perhaps a specific sense development of mush v.²