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must1
/must/, auxiliary verb.1. to be obliged or bound to by an imperative requirement: I must keep my word.2. to be under the necessity to; need to: Animals must eat to live.3. to be required or compelled to, as by the use or threat of force: You must obey the law.4. to be compelled to in order to fulfill some need or achieve an aim: We must hurry if we're to arrive on time.5. to be forced to, as by convention or the requirements of honesty: I must say, that is a lovely hat.6. to be or feel urged to; ought to: I must buy that book.7. to be reasonably expected to; is bound to: It must have stopped raining by now. She must be at least 60.8. to be inevitably certain to; be compelled by nature: Everyone must die.v.i.9. to be obliged; be compelled: Do I have to go? I must, I suppose.10. Archaic. (sometimes used with ellipsis of go, get, or some similar verb readily understood from the context): We must away.adj.11. necessary; vital: A raincoat is must clothing in this area.n.12. something necessary, vital, or required: This law is a must.Syn. 1. MUST, OUGHT, SHOULD express necessity or duty. MUST expresses necessity or compulsion: I must attend to those patients first. Soldiers must obey orders. OUGHT (weaker than MUST) expresses obligation, duty, desirability: You ought to tell your mother. SHOULD expresses obligation, expectation, or probability: You are not behaving as you should. Children should be taught to speak the truth. They should arrive at one o'clock.must2/must/, n.new wine; the unfermented juice as pressed from the grape or other fruit.[bef. 900; ME, OE < L mustum, short for vinum mustum new wine]must3/must/, n.mold; moldiness; mustiness: a castle harboring the must of centuries.[1595-1605; back formation from MUSTY1]must4/must/, n.musth.must5/must/, Obs.n.1. musk, esp. a powder made from musk.v.t.2. to powder (the hair).
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Universalium. 2010.
