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musk

Pronunciation: /mʌsk/

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Definition of musk

noun

1 [mass noun] a strong-smelling reddish-brown substance which is secreted by the male musk deer for scent-marking and is an important ingredient in perfumery.

2 (also musk plant) a relative of the monkey flower, formerly cultivated for a musky fragrance which has been lost in the development of modern varieties.
- Genus Mimulus, family Scrophulariaceae: several species, in particular M. moschatus
Australiansee musk tree.

Origin:

late Middle English: from late Latin muscus, from Persian mušk, perhaps from Sanskrit muṣka 'scrotum' (because of the similarity in shape of the sac on the abdomen of a male musk deer in which musk is produced)

musk in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of musk in the US English dictionary

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