muse1

 
Pronunciation: /mjuːz/

noun

  • 1 (Muse) (in Greek and Roman mythology) each of nine goddesses, the daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, who preside over the arts and sciences.
  • 2a woman, or a force personified as a woman, who is the source of inspiration for a creative artist: Yeats' muse, Maud Gonne

Origin:

late Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin musa, from Greek mousa