1770-80, Americanism; < Massachusett cognate of Western Abenakimòskwas (perhaps equivalent to Proto-Algonquian *mo·ŝk- bobbing above the surface of the water + *-exkwe· head + derivational elements, i.e., the one whose head bobs above the water)
British Dictionary definitions for musquash
musquash
/ˈmʌskwɒʃ/
noun
1.
another name for muskrat, used esp to refer to its fur
Word Origin
C17: from Algonquian: compare Natick musquash, Abnaki muskwessu