musk

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French musc, from Late Latin muscus, from Ancient Greek μόσχος (móskhos), from Middle Persian *mušk; compare Persian مشک‎ (mušk). Ultimately from Sanskrit मुष्क (muṣka, “testicle”), the shape of the gland of animals secreting the substance being compared to human testicles, a diminutive of मूष् (mūṣ, “mouse”), the shape of human testicles being compared to mice, from Proto-Indo-European *muh₂s (“mouse”).^[1]

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /mʌsk/
• Rhymes: -ʌsk

Noun

musk (countable and uncountable, plural musks)

1. A greasy secretion with a powerful odour, produced in a glandular sac of the male musk deer and used in the manufacture of perfumes.
2. A similar secretion produced by the otter and the civet.
3. A synthetic organic compound used as a substitute for the above.
4. The odour of musk.
5. The musk deer (genus Moschus).
6. The musk plant (Mimulus moschatus).
7. A plant of the genus Erodium (Erodium moschatum); the musky heronsbill.
8. A plant of the genus Muscari; grape hyacinth.
9. (slang, colloquial, vulgar) The scent of human genitalia when aroused or unwashed.

   I was so excited I could smell my own musk.

Verb

musk (third-person singular simple present musks, present participle musking, simple past and past participle musked)

1. (transitive) To perfume with musk.

References

Anagrams

• skum