Russian

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Alternative forms

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Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): [ˈmusər]
  • Audio:(file)

Etymology 1

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Uncertain.

Per Vasmer, perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂d-, and cognate with Ancient Greek μύσος (músos, pollution, desecration), Ancient Greek μυσαρός (musarós, vile, covered with shame), Old Irish mosach (unclean), Low German mussig (dirty).

Per Preobrazhensky and Trubachyov, cognate with dialectal terms бу́сор (búsor, junk, old stuff), бу́сырь (búsyrʹ), бу́сорь (búsorʹ), and probably borrowed from a Turkic language with alternation between /b/ and /m/; Trubachyov in particular characterizes Vasmer's derivation as unconvincing.

An expressive connection with сор (sor, rubbish, trash) is also suggested.

Noun

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му́сор (músorm inan (genitive му́сора, uncountable, relational adjective му́сорный, diminutive мусоро́к)

  1. garbage, debris, refuse
    Synonyms: отбро́с (otbrós), отхо́ды (otxódy), сор (sor), хлам (xlam)
    • 1975, Братья Стругацкие, “Книга первая. Часть первая. Мусорщик”, in Град обреченный; English translation from Andrew Bromfield, transl., The Doomed City, Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2016:
      Когда остался последний бак, Ван взял совок и метлу и принялся собирать мусор, оставшийся на асфальте.
      Kogda ostalsja poslednij bak, Van vzjal sovok i metlu i prinjalsja sobiratʹ musor, ostavšijsja na asfalʹte.
      When there was only one trash can left, Wang took a shovel and a broom and started sweeping up the trash left on the asphalt surface.
Declension
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References
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  • Vasmer, Max (1964–1973) “мусор”, in Oleg Trubachyov, transl., Этимологический словарь русского языка [Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language] (in Russian), Moscow: Progress

Etymology 2

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From the pre-1917 acronym МУС (MUS) for Моско́вский уголо́вный сыск (Moskóvskij ugolóvnyj sysk, Moscow Criminal Detective Department).

Noun

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му́сор (músorm anim (genitive му́сора, nominative plural мусора́, genitive plural мусоро́в, diminutive мусоро́к)

  1. (slang, derogatory) cop, pig (policeman)
    Synonyms: мент (ment), лега́вый (legávyj), фарао́н (faraón); (neutral term) полице́йский (policéjskij), милиционе́р (milicionér)
    Antonym: вор (vor)
Declension
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Ukrainian

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Etymology

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Borrowed from Russian му́сор (músor).

Pronunciation

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Noun

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му́сор (músorm pers (genitive му́сора, nominative plural мусори́, genitive plural мусорі́в)

  1. (slang, derogatory) cop, pig (police officer)

Declension

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References

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  • Kondratiuk, T. M. (2006) “мусор”, in Словник сучасного українського сленгу [Dictionary of Modern Ukrainian Slang] (in Ukrainian), Kharkiv: Folio, →ISBN