musk deer

noun

: any of a genus (Moschus) of small heavy-limbed hornless deer of central Asian uplands with tusked musk-producing males

Examples of musk deer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Male musk deer compete with each other every mating season by fighting with their fangs. Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 June 2023 Oddly, given the inhospitable terrain and the limited economic importance of an area whose main exports were wool, salt, and the scent glands of musk deer, the Himalayas have been historically a place where empires have collided, and invaders from Mongols to Maoists have flocked over the centuries. Richard Schiffman, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 Nov. 2022 The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) has confirmed the presence of the Kashmir musk deer, a species not seen in more than half a century, in the Nuristan region of Afghanistan. The Editors, Outside Online, 6 Nov. 2014 Over the past fifty years, there have been efforts in China to raise the endangered Alpine musk deer (Moschus sifanicus) on farms. Mallory Locklear, Discover Magazine, 12 Oct. 2014 Siberian Ibex wander here, along with musk deer feeding on the lichenous rocks and brown bears that follow the retreating snow fields in spring. Paul Cooper, Discover Magazine, 7 June 2018 By the beginning of this century, however, musk deer populations had been hunted to precariously low levels, and the animal had disappeared altogether across large parts of its original Himalayan range. Mallory Locklear, Discover Magazine, 12 Oct. 2014 In its earliest form, musk was made from natural secretions of the male musk deer, says François-Raphaël Balestra, principal perfumer and director of New Ingredients Discovery at Swiss fragrance house Firmenich. ELLE, 30 Apr. 2022 Not everyone is optimistic about the musk deer’s future. The Editors, Outside Online, 6 Nov. 2014

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'musk deer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1673, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of musk deer was in 1673

Dictionary Entries Near musk deer

Cite this Entry

“Musk deer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/musk%20deer. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

musk deer

noun
: any or several small hornless deers that live in the high regions of central Asia with the males producing musk

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