oud

noun

a fragrant, dark and resinous wood used in incense, perfume, and small hand carvings, formed in the heartwood of Aquilaria trees after they become infected with a type of Phaeoacremonium mold, P. parasitica

a musical instrument of the lute family used in southwest Asia and northern Africa

Pronunciation: /uːd/

Etymology: From Arabic عُود (ʕūd). Doublet of lute.

A short-necked and fretless plucked stringed instrument of the lute family, of Arab and Turkish origin.
“Oriental music is chiefly unrhythmical [...]. It is mostly rendered by a solo voice with accompaniment of the Ud, a kind of lyre or mandolin, or Kanun, resembling a guitar.”
“Common throughout the Arab and Persian world, the oud is a fretless short-neck lute with a pear-shaped, flat top, rounded back, and a peghead characteristically bent backwards at a very sharp angle. The oud's origins are unknown, although myths attribute either celestial or magical beginnings, it more likely came from ancient Persia.”
Agarwood, in particular the noble rot of Aquilaria trees used to make perfumes.
“The recent fashion for oud (the noble rot of Aquilaria trees) took flight when YSL released M7, where the oud accord was center stage. It came with an advertising campaign featuring a hairy naked guy, a sight rated “beautiful” by my co-author. Real oud is complex material, with honey, tobacco, leaf, minty-fresh and castoreum animalic notes all mixed together.”