musty

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

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

   [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.

2. 2
   adj

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

   Musty food    musty furniture    a musty odour.

3. 3
   adj

   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.

4. 4
   adj

   Of attitudes, ideas, writing, or other abstract things: no longer fresh or interesting; outdated, stale.

   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, […].

The adjective is derived from Late Middle English musty; further origin uncertain, possibly from one of the following: * From Anglo-Norman muste, moste, variants of moiste, muiste (“moist”), from Old French moiste (“clammy, damp, moist, wet”) (modern French moite (“muggy; sticky, sweaty”)), from a blend of Vulgar Latin *mucidus (from Latin mūcidus (“mouldy, musty”), from Old Latin mūceō (“to be mouldy or musty”) + -idus (suffix meaning ‘tending to’, forming adjectives)) + Latin mustum (“unfermented or partially fermented grape juice, must; new wine”) (from mustus (“fresh; young; unfermented”),...

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