musk

Meanings

Noun

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

Verb

• To perfume with musk.

Origin

• From Middle English muske, borrowed from Old French musc, from Late Latin muscus, from Ancient Greek μόσχος, from Middle Persian whence Persian مشک. Ultimately from Sanskrit मुष्क, the shape of the gland of animals secreting the substance being compared to human testicles, a diminutive of मूष्, the shape of human testicles being compared to mice, from Proto-Indo-European *muh₂s. Cognate with mouse.