noun
musk
Refers to the strong-smelling reddish-brown substance secreted by the male musk deer, used in perfumery and traditional medicine. Also used in compound words like 麝香猫 (civet) and 麝香鹿 (musk deer).
この香水には麝香が使われている。
This perfume contains musk.
麝香は古くから香料や薬として珍重されてきた。
Musk has been highly valued as a fragrance and medicine since ancient times.
ムスク is a more common loanword for musk in modern Japanese, especially in fashion and cosmetics. 麝香 is the traditional Sino-Japanese term and is often used in historical or formal contexts.
From Middle Chinese 麝香 (zyaeH xjang, literally 'musk deer fragrance'). The kanji 麝 refers to the musk deer, and 香 means fragrance.