musth
noun
\ ˈməst
\
\
variants:
or less commonly must
Definition of musth
: a periodic state of the bull elephant characterized especially by aggressive behavior and usually connected with the rutting season
Examples of musth in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Females live in matriarchal groups, and males tend to live in separate groups until going into musth. — Grant Currin, National Geographic, "Elderly male elephants are the most determined to mate," 2 July 2019 Sometimes, elephants in musth are paraded in festivals. — Sangeeta Tanwar, Quartz India, "This elephant-obsessed Indian state is finally stepping in to protect abused captive animals," 13 June 2019 Despite the male—or bull—elephant's seemingly playful behavior, the video also suggests the animal is in a period of musth. — National Geographic, "Watch: Elephant 'Plays' With a Police Car and a Pack of Wild Dogs," 28 July 2017 When the elephants come out of their musth, the mahouts believe the elephants have forgotten their commands. — National Geographic, "New Film Shows Brutalization of Temple Elephants in India," 25 May 2016These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'musth.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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