See Also: Musk(medicine)
musk(1)(dictionary)
musk(2)(dictionary)
musk ox(encyclopedia)
musk ox(dictionary)
musk(dictionary)
MuSK kinase(medicine)

musk(1) (iou)



musk noun. LME.

A reddish-brown glandular secretion of the male musk deer, with a strong, persistent odour, used in perfumery. Also, any of various similar odorous substances secreted by other animals, esp. for scent marking. LME.
b. A substance designed to imitate musk. M17.
c. An aromatic odour resembling that of musk. M19.
An animal which secretes musk, as a civet; spec. a musk deer. L15.
Any of various plants smelling of musk; esp. (a) = musk plant below; (b) = musk stork's-bill s.v. STORK noun; (c) Austral. = musk tree below. Formerly also, any of certain varieties of apple, pear, etc., with a musky smell. E18.
Comb.: musk-bag the bag or gland in which musk is stored in the musk deer and other animals; musk-ball (a) a receptacle for musk; (b) Hist. a ball of soap scented with musk; musk beetle a large green longhorn beetle, Aromia moschata, having a musky scent; musk-cat (a) an animal which secretes musk, esp. a civet; (b) a fop; (c) a courtesan; musk-cod (a) = musk-bag above; (b) a fop smelling of perfume; musk deer (a) any of several small hornless ruminants of forests in eastern Asia, of the family Moschidae, the males of which secrete the scent musk; esp. the Siberian Moschus moschiferus; (b) occas. a chevrotain, a mouse-deer; musk duck (a) = Muscovy duck s.v. MUSCOVY 2; (b) a duck, Biziura lobata, of southern Australia, the male of which has a musky odour and a pendulous lobe below the bill; musk kangaroo a very small arboreal rat-kangaroo, Hypsiprymnodon moschatus; musk lorikeet a small Australian parrot, Glossopsitta concinna, green with red markings; musk mallow a mallow of dry grassland, Malva moschata, with rose-purple flowers and palmately divided leaves; musk melon the fruit of the melon, Cucumis melo, esp. a variety with netted rind and aromatic flesh; the plant producing this; musk orchid an orchid of chalk grassland, Herminium monorchis, with small green flowers; musk ox a large, shaggy, horned ruminant, Ovibos moschatus, of the tundra, esp. in Canada and Greenland, the male of which emits a strong odour during rutting; musk parrakeet = musk lorikeet above; musk plant a yellow-flowered mimulus, Mimulus moschatus, formerly grown for the musky smell of its leaves (not perceptible in modern varieties); musk-rose a rambling rose, Rosa moschata, with large fragrant white flowers; musk shrew any of various shrews of the genus Crocidura; musk stork's-bill: see STORK noun; musk thistle a thistle, Carduus nutans, with drooping sweet-scented heads; musk tortoise = musk turtle below; musk tree any of several Australian trees or shrubs with musk-scented leaves or timber; esp. Olearia argyrophylla, of the composite family; musk turtle any of several small N. American freshwater turtles of the genus Sternotherus, which emit a musky scent when disturbed; also called stink-pot, stink-pot terrapin, stink-pot turtle; musk-wood (a) (the wood of) either of two musky-scented W. Indian trees of the family Meliaceae, Guarea trichiloides and Trichilia moschata; (b) Austral. (the wood of) the musk tree, Olearia argyrophylla.
muskish adjective somewhat musky E17-E18.
musklike adjective resembling (that of) musk E19.