Bisam

German

Etymology

From Middle High German bisem, from Old High German bisam, bisamo, borrowed from Medieval Latin bisamum, from Hebrew בֹּשֶׂם (bāśām, bōśem, “perfume”). Doublet of Balsam (“balm, balsam”) and Desman.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈbiːzam/, (also) /ˈbiːzaːm/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Bi‧sam

Noun

Bisam m or (seldom) n (strong, genitive Bisams, plural Bisame or Bisams)

1. musk (now chiefly zoology, never used of synthetic musk)

   Synonym: Moschus

2. Short for Bisamratte (“muskrat”).
3. Short for Bisamfell (“muskrat pelt”).

Declension

Declension of Bisam [masculine // neuter, strong]

	singular			plural
	indef.	def.	noun	def.	noun
nominative	ein	der, das	Bisam	die	Bisame, Bisams
genitive	eines	des	Bisams	der	Bisame, Bisams
dative	einem	dem	Bisam	den	Bisamen, Bisams
accusative	einen, ein	den, das	Bisam	die	Bisame, Bisams

Derived terms

• Bisamapfel
• Bisamochse
• Bisamratte
• Bisamrüssler

 

Further reading

• “Bisam” in Duden online