All 4 Uses of
muster
in
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
- After a few minutes, I mustered strength, and started to obey her.†
Chpt 10 *mustered = gathered
- It was always the custom to have a muster every year.†
Chpt 12
- This grand occasion had already passed; and when the slaves were told there was to be another muster, they were surprised and rejoiced.†
Chpt 12
- During the two years we had lived together I had often resolved to tell her something about her father; but I had never been able to muster sufficient courage.†
Chpt 39
Definitions:
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(1)
(muster as in: muster strength or the crew) to gatherThe exact meaning of this sense of muster is often subject to its context. For example:
- "mustered her courage/strength/a smile" -- to gather from within
- "muster the soldiers/crew" -- to gather -- typically for inspection
- "muster volunteers/votes" -- to gather enough to do something
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(2)
(muster as in: didn't pass muster) inspection -- especially of soldiers or a crew
-
(3)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
More rarely, muster can refer to a counting or census. Much more rarely, muster can refer to a call to duty such as compulsory military service or jury duty. In that sense, you may see the expression muster in or muster out. Still more rarely, a muster can refer to a group of peacocks.