musk

IPA/mʌsk/
KK[mˈʌsk]IPA/mʌsk/

musk — noun

1. An oily substance with a powerful, lasting smell, taken from a scent gland in a

1.nounB2
Definition

An oily substance with a powerful, lasting smell, taken from a scent gland in a kind of male deer. Long valued in perfumery because it anchors lighter fragrances and helps them stay on the skin. Almost all musk sold today is produced synthetically.

Example

Dimitri added a single drop of musk oil to the citrus blend, and the whole perfume suddenly felt deeper.

musk oil + added to [perfume blend]

Ingrid stirred a bead of synthetic musk into the jasmine formula at her workbench on Rue Cambon.

synthetic musk + stirred into [formula]

Common collocations
  • natural musk
  • synthetic musk
  • raw musk
  • musk deer
  • musk oil
  • musk gland
Synonyms
  • civet

    another animal-derived perfume fixative, sharper and more pungent than musk

  • ambergris

    a waxy substance from sperm whales, used as a fixative with a marine scent

Grammar Patterns

musk + of + animal

synthetic/natural + musk

Usage Note

Now mostly produced synthetically; natural musk from the musk deer gland is rare and tightly regulated under conservation laws.

Common Mistakes

She wore a musk to the costume party.
She wore a mask to the costume party.
'musk' is a scent substance; 'mask' is a covering for the face.

2. A warm, heavy, sweet smell with a slightly wild, animal undertone — whether it c

2.nounB2
Definition

A warm, heavy, sweet smell with a slightly wild, animal undertone — whether it comes from actual musk glands or from anything that carries a similar scent.

Example

The heavy musk rising from the deer pen was so strong that the keeper covered his nose.

heavy musk + rising from [place]

Noor caught the faint musk of her father's cologne on the collar of his winter coat.

faint musk of [cologne on clothing]

Common collocations
  • faint musk
  • heavy musk
  • warm musk
  • musky smell
  • musk of deer
Synonyms
  • musky scent

    a lighter, everyday way to name the same smell

  • animalic note

    used in perfumery to describe a rich, warm scent that resembles musk

Grammar Patterns

musk + of + source

faint/heavy/warm + musk

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1 (PERFUME INGREDIENT): this sense names the smell itself, not the physical substance that produces it.

Word family

  • musky
    adjectiveB2
  • muskiness
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Although musk, civet, and ambergris were all historically obtained from animals and used as perfume fixatives, they differ in source and character. Musk comes from the gland of the male musk deer and has a warm, sweet, leathery scent. Civet, from the civet cat, is sharper and more fecal when raw but turns floral when diluted. Ambergris, produced in the sperm whale's digestive system, carries a marine, salty sweetness. Unlike the broad terms scent and fragrance — which can describe any smell, pleasant or not — musk specifically names this one rich, animal-derived base note that anchors a perfume.

civetambergrisscent ↗fragrance ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • scent of musk
  • smell of musk
  • hint of musk
  • trace of musk

Adverbs

Phrases

  • musky odour
  • musky perfume

Prepositions

Etymology

SanskritPersianGreekLatinFrenchEnglish

Musk entered English in the 14th century through Old French musc, from Late Latin muscus, which came from Greek moskhos. The Greek word was borrowed from Persian mushk, which itself traces back to the Sanskrit word muṣká meaning 'testicle' — a reference to the shape of the scent gland found on the male musk deer. The word's path from a specific anatomical comparison to a luxury perfume ingredient shows how trade routes spread both the substance and its name across Asia and Europe.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a