civet

[siv-it]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR civet ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a yellowish, unctuous substance with a strong musklike odor, obtained from a pouch in the genital region of civets and used in perfumery.

any catlike, carnivorous mammal of the subfamily Viverrinae, chiefly of southern Asia and Africa, having a coarse-haired, spotted coat, rounded ears, and a narrow muzzle.

any of various related or similar animals, as the palm civet.

cacomistle.

Origin of civet

1525–35; < Middle French civette < Catalan civetta ≪ Arabic zabād civet perfume; see zibet

Related formsciv·et·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for civet

puma, lynx, leopard, tiger, lion, wildcat, jaguar, tom, cheetah

Examples from the Web for civet

Historical Examples of civet

But it is very improper for such folk to smear themselves with civet.
Albert Durer
T. Sturge Moore
Of civet and scimitar I believe it can only be asserted that they are Eastern.
English Past and Present
Richard Chevenix Trench
I will ask you then, for your own account, Mr. Leroux, of the arrival of the woman in the civet furs.
The Yellow Claw
Sax Rohmer
Give me an ounce of civet, good apothecary, to sweeten my imagination.
Familiar Quotations
John Bartlett
Give me an ounce of civet, good apothecary, says Shakspeare.
Quarterly Journal of Science, Literature and the Arts, July-December, 1827
Various

British Dictionary definitions for civet

civet

noun

any catlike viverrine mammal of the genus Viverra and related genera, of Africa and S Asia, typically having blotched or spotted fur and secreting a powerfully smelling fluid from anal glands

the yellowish fatty secretion of such an animal, used as a fixative in the manufacture of perfumes

the fur of such an animal

short for palm civet

Word Origin for civet

C16: from Old French civette, from Italian zibetto, from Arabic zabād civet perfume

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for civet

1530s, from Middle French civette (15c.), ultimately (with Italian zibetto, Medieval Latin zibethum, Medieval Greek zapetion) via lost intermediate forms from Arabic zabad "civet," said to be related to zabad "foam, froth," zubd "cream."