Definition:
: a periodic state of murderous frenzy of the bull elephant usually connected with the rutting season and marked by the exudation of a dark brown odorous ichor from tiny holes above the eyes
Example:
"Watching a bull in musth over the two or three months he is in that state gives a good indication of why males are not in musth year-round." – Cynthia Moss, Elephant Memories, 1988
About the Word:
Even more so than with symposium this word proves that there is often a great disconnect between a word's etymology and its current meaning. Musth comes to English from the Hindi word mast ('intoxicated'), and is akin to the Sanskrit madati (meaning 'he rejoices, is drunk'), but we know that the enjoyment of alcohol needn’t occasion a murderous frenzy of sexualized excitement with brown stuff leaking from the eyes.
