| Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - The Free Dictionary 1,807,942,593 visitors served. |
|
Dictionary/ thesaurus | Medical dictionary | Legal dictionary | Financial dictionary | Acronyms | Idioms | Encyclopedia | Wikipedia encyclopedia | ? |
musk |
Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Wikipedia, Hutchinson | 0.03 sec. |
|
musk, odorous substance secreted by an abdominal gland of the musk deer musk deer, small, antlerless deer, Moschus moschiferus, found in wet mountain forests from Siberia and Korea to the Himalayas. In summer it ranges up to 8,000 ft (2,400 m). It is from 20 to 24 in. ..... Click the link for more information. , used in perfume perfume, aroma produced by the essential oils of plants and by synthetic aromatics. The burning of incense that accompanied the religious rites of ancient China, Palestine, and Egypt led gradually to the personal use of perfume. ..... Click the link for more information. as a scent and fixative. The gland, found only in males, grows to the size of a hen's egg; the secretion is reddish-brown, with a honeylike consistency and a strong odor that may function in the animal as a sexual attractant. After the pouch is cut the secretion hardens, assumes a blackish-brown color, and when dry becomes granular. In commerce the musk pouches are called "musk pods," and the dried secretion "musk grains." Usually a tincture of alcohol is made from the grains; this is then added to expensive perfumes. The chief constituent that gives musk its odor is the organic compound muscone. Musklike substances are also obtained from the muskrat muskrat, North American aquatic rodent . The common muskrats, species of the genus Ondatra, are sometimes called by their Native American name, musquash. ..... Click the link for more information. and the civet. Some plants yield oils which resemble musk; these include the seed of ambrette (Hibiscus abelmoschos) and the sumbul root (Ferula sumbul) of central Asia and Turkistan. A number of synthetic musklike products are now also used. musk 1. a strong-smelling glandular secretion of the male musk deer, used in perfumery 2. a similar substance produced by certain other animals, such as the civet and otter, or manufactured synthetically musk any of several scrophulariaceous plants of the genus Mimulus, esp the North American M. moschatus, which has yellow flowers and was formerly cultivated for its musky scent musk [məsk] (physiology) Any of various strong-smelling substances obtained from the musk glands of musk deer or similar animals; used in the form of a tincture as a fixative for perfume. musk traditional symbol of weakness. [Plant Symbolism: Flora Symbolica, 176] See : Weakness How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
|
| ? Mentioned in | ? References in periodicals archive | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| a) Regarding health issues, we agree with Salvito that the available evidence indicates minimal direct affects of most synthetic musks on the health of humans and aquatic organisms. The Stanford results suggest that synthetic musks are "indirect toxicants," says Christian Daughton of the Environmental Protection Agency laboratory in Las Vegas. The pink ``Kathleen''' and the coral ``Cornelia'' are other hybrid musks in Thomas' collection. |
| Encyclopedia |
| Free Tools: |
For surfers:
Free toolbar & extensions |
Word of the Day |
Help
For webmasters: Free content | Linking | Lookup box | Double-click lookup | Partner with us |
|---|