the.com/musk
A scent stolen from deer glands that became civilization's most expensive way to smell wanted.
means A penetrating, animal-warm fragrance — originally a substance from a gland of the male musk deer, now mostly synthetic — used as a base note in perfumes, or by extension any heavy earthy scent.
from From Middle English via Old French 'musc' and Late Latin 'muscus,' which came from Greek 'moskhos.' The trail runs back through Persian 'mushk' to Sanskrit 'mushka,' meaning 'testicle' (literally a 'little mouse,' from 'mush,' mouse) — a blunt nod to the scrotum-shaped gland sac on the musk deer from which the perfume was harvested. So the most refined of fragrances carries, etymologically, the earthiest of names.
- animal origin
- Named for a gland on male musk deer
- now synthetic
- Most musk today is made in labs
- persistent
- One of perfumery's longest-lasting base notes
- word root
- From Sanskrit muska, meaning testicle
- banned trade
- Real deer musk is now heavily restricted
elon musk — ceo of tesla and spacex, net worth ~$200b as of 2024
musk ox — arctic hoofed mammal with musky scent glands, found in canada and greenland
musk deer — small asian deer that produces musk from abdominal gland, used in perfume