musk ox

noun

: a heavyset, shaggy-coated, bovid mammal (Ovibos moschatus) of tundra regions of Greenland, Canada, and Alaska with the males producing a strong musky odor from glands beneath the eyes

Illustration of musk ox

Examples of musk ox in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Thankfully, the camp visitor was just a musk ox. —Kate Wong, Scientific American, 16 Sep. 2025

In addition to showcasing the Arctic’s raw, austere beauty and wildlife encounters such as sightings of polar bears, walruses, wolves, giant musk ox, narwhal, and snowy owls, the voyage shines a spotlight on the Indigenous people who have stewarded the region’s unusual ecosystems for 5,000 years. —Robin Catalano, AFAR Media, 15 Sep. 2025

And if one of the survivalists kills a moose, musk ox, or some other large animal, that’s pretty cool, too. —Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 13 June 2025

Debate over drilling in the refuge -- home to polar bears, musk ox, birds and other wildlife -- has long been a flashpoint. —Arkansas Online, 2 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1744, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for musk ox

• botox
• checkbox
• comox
• cornstalks
• cowpox
• crosswalks
• deadlocks
• detox
• feedstocks
• firebox
• gearbox
• hemlocks

Kids Definition

musk ox

noun

: a large shaggy-coated wild ox native to Greenland, Canada and Alaska with the males producing a strong odor similar to musk from glands below the eyes