From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishmuskmusk /mʌsk/ noun [uncountable] 1 DCBCOa substance with a strong smell that is used to make perfume2 written a strong smell, especially the way a person smells the musk of sweat and muscle —musky adjective
Examples from the Corpus
musk• A musk smell lingered on Groves' sleeve, from where the female snake had curled around his arm.• A powerful odor of rot and musk and something much more violent came from her.• The only other smell you are likely to encounter that could be confused with badger musk is that of the fox.• The musk thickened as they approached the end of the hall.• His armpits were also nearly hairless, almost sweet with musk.Origin musk (1300-1400) French musc, from Late Latin muscus, from Greek moschos, from Persian mushk, from Sanskrit muska “testicle”; because the substance comes from a part of a deer near its testicles 