n. [ OE. moustre, OF. mostre, moustre, F. montre, LL. monstra. See Muster, v. t. ] 1. Something shown for imitation; a pattern. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A show; a display. [ Obs. ] Piers Plowman. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An assembling or review of troops, as for parade, verification of numbers, inspection, exercise, or introduction into service. [ 1913 Webster ]

The hurried muster of the soldiers of liberty. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

See how in warlike muster they appear,
In rhombs, and wedges, and half-moons, and wings. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The sum total of an army when assembled for review and inspection; the whole number of effective men in an army. [ 1913 Webster ]

And the muster was thirty thousands of men. Wyclif. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ye publish the musters of your own bands, and proclaim them to amount of thousands. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Any assemblage or display; a gathering. [ 1913 Webster ]

Of the temporal grandees of the realm, mentof their wives and daughters, the muster was great and splendid. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Muster book, a book in which military forces are registered. --
Muster file, a muster roll. --
Muster master (Mil.), one who takes an account of troops, and of their equipment; a mustering officer; an inspector. [ Eng. ] --
Muster roll (Mil.), a list or register of all the men in a company, troop, or regiment, present or accounted for on the day of muster. --
To pass muster, to pass through a muster or inspection without censure. [ 1913 Webster ]

Such excuses will not pass muster with God. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Mustered p. pr. & vb. n. Mustering. ] [ OE. mustren, prop., to show, OF. mostrer, mustrer, moustrer, monstrer, F. montrer, fr. L. monstrare to show. See Monster. ] 1. To collect and display; to assemble, as troops for parade, inspection, exercise, or the like. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence: To summon together; to enroll in service; to get together. “Mustering all its force.” Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

All the gay feathers he could muster. L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

To muster troops into service (Mil.), to inspect and enter troops on the muster roll of the army. --
To muster troops out of service (Mil.), to register them for final payment and discharge. --
To muster up, to gather up; to succeed in obtaining; to obtain with some effort or difficulty. [ 1913 Webster ]

One of those who can muster up sufficient sprightliness to engage in a game of forfeits. Hazlitt. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To be gathered together for parade, inspection, exercise, or the like; to come together as parts of a force or body; as, his supporters mustered in force. “The mustering squadron.” Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]