civet cat

noun

1. cacomistle.

2. the fur of the cacomistle.

3. Western U.S.,  skunk.

Word History and Origins

Origin of civet cat¹

An Americanism dating back to 1600–10

Example Sentences

It took 14 years to prove that another coronavirus, SARS, was transmitted from bats to civet cats to humans, and the sources of many Ebola outbreaks have never been found.

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Researchers soon found relatives of that virus, called SARS-CoV, in bats, as well as civet cats, which are sold in Chinese markets.

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Scientists initially suspected the virus came from wild animals sold in the market, such as civet cats implicated in the spread of SARS.

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In his work, Dr. Daszak said, he had dealt with hunters and wildlife smugglers, and had visited farms where captive bamboo rats, civet cats and porcupines were raised in pens next to chickens and pigs.

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With the spread of the coronavirus, China’s government has banned the trade and consumption of wildlife such as civet cats and bamboo rats.

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