Part 230

Being amused with grief, fear, and fright, he could not find the house. Fuller.

2. To entertain or occupy in a pleasant manner; to stir with pleasing or mirthful emotions; to divert.

A group of children amusing themselves with pushing stones from the top [of the cliff], and watching as they plunged into the lake. Gilpin.

3. To keep in expectation; to beguile; to delude.

He amused his followers with idle promises. Johnson.

Syn. -- To entertain; gratify; please; divert; beguile; deceive; occupy. -- To Amuse, Divert, Entertain. We are amused by that which occupies us lightly and pleasantly. We are entertained by that which brings our minds into agreeable contact with others, as conversation, or a book. We are diverted by that which turns off our thoughts to something of livelier interest, especially of a sportive nature, as a humorous story, or a laughable incident.

Whatever amuses serves to kill time, to lull the faculties, and to banish reflection. Whatever entertains usually awakens the understanding or gratifies the fancy. Whatever diverts is lively in its nature, and sometimes tumultuous in its effects. Crabb.

A*muse", v. i. To muse; to mediate. [Obs.]

A*mused" (&?;), a. 1. Diverted.

2. Expressing amusement; as, an amused look.

A*muse"ment (&?;), n. [Cf. F. amusement.] 1. Deep thought; muse. [Obs.]

Here I . . . fell into a strong and deep amusement, revolving in my mind, with great perplexity, the amazing change of our affairs. Fleetwood.

2. The state of being amused; pleasurable excitement; that which amuses; diversion.

His favorite amusements were architecture and gardening. Macaulay.

Syn. -- Diversion; entertainment; recreation; relaxation; pastime; sport.

A*mus"er (-r), n. One who amuses.

||Am`u*sette" (&?;), n. [F.] A light field cannon, or stocked gun mounted on a swivel.

A*mus"ing (&?;), a. Giving amusement; diverting; as, an amusing story. -- A*mus"ing*ly, adv.

A*mu"sive (?; 277), a. Having power to amuse or entertain the mind; fitted to excite mirth. [R.] -- A*mu"sive*ly, adv. -- A*mu"sive*ness, n.

A*my" (&?;), n. [F. ami, fr. L. amicus.] A friend. [Obs.] Chaucer.

A*my"e*lous (&?;), a. [Gr. &?; without marrow.] (Med.) Wanting the spinal cord.

A*myg`da*la"ceous (&?;), a. (Bot.) Akin to, or derived from, the almond.

A*myg"da*late (&?;), a. [L. amygdala, amygdalum, almond, Gr. &?;, &?;. See Almond.] Pertaining to, resembling, or made of, almonds.

A*myg"da*late, n. 1. (Med.) An emulsion made of almonds; milk of almonds. Bailey. Coxe.

2. (Chem.) A salt amygdalic acid.

Am`yg*dal"ic (&?;), a. (Chem.) Of or pertaining to almonds; derived from amygdalin; as, amygdalic acid.

A*myg`da*lif"er*ous (&?;), a. [L. amygdalum almond + -ferous.] Almond-bearing.

A*myg"da*lin (&?;), n. (Chem.) A glucoside extracted from bitter almonds as a white, crystalline substance.