musk

[muhsk]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR musk ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a substance secreted in a glandular sac under the skin of the abdomen of the male musk deer, having a strong odor, and used in perfumery.

an artificial imitation of the substance.

a similar secretion of other animals, as the civet, muskrat, and otter.

the odor of musk or some similar odor.

Botany. any of several plants, as the monkey flower, having a musky fragrance.

Origin of musk

1350–1400; Middle English musk(e) (< Middle French musc) < Late Latin muscus (Medieval Latin moschus) < Late Greek móskos, móschos < Persian mushk

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for musk

stink, whiff, aroma, flavor, perfume, smell, stench, cantaloupe, gourd, papaya, watermelon, snuff, effluvium, tincture, trail, bouquet, essence, emanation, air, tang

Examples from the Web for musk

Contemporary Examples of musk

Nothing could better describe the differences between Branson and Musk than these two events.
Tycoons in Space: One in Orbit and One Still Grounded
Clive Irving
October 5, 2014
Musk is there, too, having taken a three-year lease at Spaceport for testing reusable rockets.
Tycoons in Space: One in Orbit and One Still Grounded
Clive Irving
October 5, 2014
Like Ford, Musk started by building a high-end sports car that would be a toy for the ultra-rich.
From the Model T to the Model S
The Daily Beast
September 24, 2014
Like Ford, Musk knew that Tesla could only become a significant player if it were to democratize the electric car.
From the Model T to the Model S
The Daily Beast
September 24, 2014
When Musk decided he want to make electric cars, he was confronting the world that Ford had pioneered.
From the Model T to the Model S
The Daily Beast
September 24, 2014

Historical Examples of musk

She was also jealous because she didn't reek of musk like that boulevard work-horse.
L'Assommoir
Emile Zola
His beard, moist with his tears, still stank of tobacco and musk.
Fruitfulness
Emile Zola
You had best stand aside—you that are steeped in musk and fierceness.
The Trampling of the Lilies
Rafael Sabatini
He passed into the hall, which was cool and smelt like a wedding with a musk of flowers.
Pipefuls
Christopher Morley
In the retreat of the Hermes the smell of musk had evaporated.
The Child of Pleasure
Gabriele D'Annunzio

British Dictionary definitions for musk

musk

noun

a strong-smelling glandular secretion of the male musk deer, used in perfumery

a similar substance produced by certain other animals, such as the civet and otter, or manufactured synthetically

any of several scrophulariaceous plants of the genus Mimulus, esp the North American M. moschatus, which has yellow flowers and was formerly cultivated for its musky scentSee also monkey flower

the smell of musk or a similar heady smell

(modifier) containing or resembling muskmusk oil; a musk flavour

Word Origin for musk

C14: from Late Latin muscus, from Greek moskhos, from Persian mushk, probably from Sanskrit mushká scrotum (from the appearance of the musk deer's musk bag), diminutive of mūsh mouse

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for musk

late 14c., from Old French musc (13c.) and directly from Late Latin muscus, from Late Greek moskhos, from Persian mushk, from Sanskrit muska-s "testicle," from mus "mouse" (so called, presumably, for resemblance; see muscle). The deer gland was thought to resemble a scrotum. German has moschos, from a Medieval Latin form of the Late Greek word. Spanish has almizcle, from Arabic al misk "the musk," from Persian. Applied to various plants and animals of similar smell (e.g. musk-ox, 1744).