Musk n.
1. A substance of a reddish brown color, and when fresh of the consistency of honey, obtained from a bag being behind the navel of the male musk deer. It has a slightly bitter taste, but is specially remarkable for its powerful and enduring odor. It is used in medicine as a stimulant antispasmodic. The term is also applied to secretions of various other animals, having a similar odor.
2. Zool. The musk deer. See Musk deer (below).
3. The perfume emitted by musk, or any perfume somewhat similar.
4. Bot. (a) The musk plant (Mimulus moschatus). (b) A plant of the genus Erodium (Erodium moschatum); -- called also musky heron's-bill. (c) A plant of the genus Muscari; grape hyacinth.
Musk beaver Zool., muskrat (1).
Musk beetle Zool., a European longicorn beetle (Aromia moschata), having an agreeable odor resembling that of attar of roses.
Musk cat. See Bondar.
Musk cattle Zool., musk oxen. See Musk ox (below).
Musk deer Zool., a small hornless deer (Moschus moschiferus), which inhabits the elevated parts of Central Asia. The upper canine teeth of the male are developed into sharp tusks, curved downward. The male has scent bags on the belly, from which the musk of commerce is derived. The deer is yellow or red-brown above, whitish below. The pygmy musk deer are chevrotains, as the kanchil and napu.
Musk duck. Zool. (a) The Muscovy duck. (b) An Australian duck (Biziura lobata).
Musk lorikeet Zool., the Pacific lorikeet (Glossopsitta australis) of Australia.
Musk mallow Bot., a name of two malvaceous plants: (a) A species of mallow (Malva moschata), the foliage of which has a faint musky smell. (b) An Asiatic shrub. See Abelmosk.
Musk orchis Bot., a European plant of the Orchis family (Herminium Minorchis); -- so called from its peculiar scent.
Musk ox Zool., an Arctic hollow-horned ruminant (Ovibos moschatus), now existing only in America, but found fossil in Europe and Asia. It is covered with a thick coat of fine yellowish wool, and with long dark hair, which is abundant and shaggy on the neck and shoulders. The full-grown male weighs over four hundred pounds.
Musk parakeet. Zool. Same as Musk lorikeet (above).
Musk pear Bot., a fragrant kind of pear much resembling the Seckel pear.
Musk plant Bot., the Mimulus moschatus, a plant found in Western North America, often cultivated, and having a strong musky odor.
Musk root Bot., the name of several roots with a strong odor, as that of the nard (Nardostachys Jatamansi) and of a species of Angelica.
Musk rose Bot., a species of rose (Rosa moschata), having peculiarly fragrant white blossoms.
Musk seed Bot., the seed of a plant of the Mallow family (Hibiscus moschatus), used in perfumery and in flavoring. See Abelmosk.
Musk sheep Zool., the musk ox.
Musk shrew Zool., a shrew (Sorex murinus), found in India. It has a powerful odor of musk. Called also sondeli, and mondjourou.
Musk thistle Bot., a species of thistle (Carduus nutans), having fine large flowers, and leaves smelling strongly of musk.
Musk tortoise, Musk turtle Zool., a small American fresh-water tortoise (Armochelys odorata syn. Ozotheca odorata), which has a distinct odor of musk; -- called also stinkpot.
Ox n.; pl. Oxen Zool. The male of bovine quadrupeds, especially the domestic animal when castrated and grown to its full size, or nearly so. The word is also applied, as a general name, to any species of bovine animals, male and female.
All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field. --Ps. viii. 7.
Note: ☞ The castrated male is called a steer until it attains its full growth, and then, an ox; but if castrated somewhat late in life, it is called a stag. The male, not castrated, is called a bull. These distinctions are well established in regard to domestic animals of this genus. When wild animals of this kind are spoken of, ox is often applied both to the male and the female. The name ox is never applied to the individual cow, or female, of the domestic kind. Oxen may comprehend both the male and the female.
Grunting ox Zool., the yak.
Indian ox Zool., the zebu.
Javan ox Zool., the banteng.
Musk ox. Zool. See under Musk.
Ox bile. See Ox gall, below.
Ox gall, the fresh gall of the domestic ox; -- used in the arts and in medicine.
Ox pith, ox marrow. [Obs.] --Marston.
Ox ray Zool., a very large ray (Dicerobatis Giornae) of Southern Europe. It has a hornlike organ projecting forward from each pectoral fin. It sometimes becomes twenty feet long and twenty-eight feet broad, and weighs over a ton. Called also sea devil.
To have the black ox tread on one's foot, to be unfortunate; to know what sorrow is (because black oxen were sacrificed to Pluto). --Leigh Hunt.
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musk ox
n : large shaggy-coated bovid mammal of Canada and Greenland;
intermediate in size and anatomy between an ox and a
sheep [syn: musk sheep, Ovibos moschatus]