Civet
noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 Any of the small carnivorous catlike mammals encompassing certain species from the families Viverridae, Eupleridae, and Nandiniidae, native to tropical Africa and Asia. countable, uncountable
- 2 cat-like mammal typically secreting musk used in perfumes wordnet
- 3 The musky perfume produced by the animal; civetone. uncountable
"LEONATO. Indeed he looks younger than he did, by the loss of a beard. DON PEDRO. Nay, a' rubs himself with civet: can you smell him out by that? CLAUDIO. That's as much as to say the sweet youth's in love."
- 4 A spotted skunk. US, countable, regional, uncountable
"I believe other animals are the same; but skunk and civet are not so particular what they eat; anything half decomposed or rotten will answer."
- 5 A ringtail (Bassariscus astutus). US, countable, regional, uncountable
"The civet, Bassariscus astutus flavus, a new host for Uncinaria lotoris.— Several specimens of this hookworm, described by Schwartz (1925) from Procyon lotor, were found in the small intestine of the civet or ring-tailed cat at College Station, Texas, by the writer December 15, 1925."
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"Have you heard of civet cat coffee? It's a coffee that's made out of cat poo."
Etymology
From French civette, from Italian zibetto, from Medieval Latin zibethum, from Arabic زَبَاد (zabād).