ˈdezmən noun
( -s )
Etymology: short for Swedish desmansråtta, from desman musk (from Middle Low German desem, dessmer ) + råtta rat; akin to Old English disma musk, Old Saxon desemo, Middle High German tiseme, tesem, all from a prehistoric West Germanic word borrowed from Medieval Latin bisamum musk, of Semitic origin; akin to Hebrew beśem pleasant aroma
1.
a. : an aquatic insectivorous mammal ( Desmana moschata ) of Russia that resembles a mole
b. : a related animal ( Galemys pyrenaicus ) of the Pyrenees
2. : the fur or pelt of a desman