musth

American  

[muhst] / mʌst /

Or must

noun

1. 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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musth British  

/ mʌst /

noun

1. (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

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musth Scientific  

/ mŭst /

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

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Etymology

Origin of musth

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

Example Sentences

"Even elephants in musth do not get violent unless they are provoked," says Dr PS Easa, a member of the Asian Elephant Specialist Group of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2023

If the elephant is in the hormonal state of musth, male elephants can get erratic and if you don’t back down, they feel that you’re threatening them.

From Slate • Jun. 27, 2022

“Even these big males in musth, when they have surging testosterone, they are so gentle with females and calves,” Dr. Poole said.

From New York Times • Jun. 4, 2021

On Jan. 21, 2020, Vinayak, who was likely in musth, approached a herd near the Tekumanda village at the Tamil Nadu border.

From Scientific American • Sep. 23, 2020

Domesticated elephants are generally very gentle and docile; though males in a state of musth often become very dangerous.

From Life in an Indian Outpost by Casserly, Gordon