musth

or must

[ muhst ]

/ mʌst /

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noun

a state or condition of violent, destructive frenzy occurring with the rutting season in male elephants, accompanied by the exudation of an oily substance from glands between the eyes and mouth.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of musth

1870–75; <Urdu mast<Persian: literally, drunk

Words nearby musth

musteline, muster, Muster Day, muster in, muster roll, musth, must-have, mustn't, must-read, must-see, must-win

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use musth in a sentence

Domesticated elephants are generally very gentle and docile; though males in a state of musth often become very dangerous.
Life in an Indian Outpost|Gordon Casserly
What was it the Mahometan syce the musth elephant killed at Bhurtpore said about his wife?
The Dop Doctor|Clotilde Inez Mary Graves

British Dictionary definitions for musth

musth

must

/ (mʌst) /

noun

(often preceded by in) a state of frenzied sexual excitement in the males of certain large mammals, esp elephants, associated with discharge from a gland between the ear and eye

Word Origin for musth

C19: from Urdu mast, from Persian: drunk

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

Scientific definitions for musth

musth

An annual period of heightened aggressiveness and sexual activity in male elephants.