genet

¹

Or ge·nette

[jen-it, juh-net]

noun

1. any small, Old World carnivore of the genus Genetta, especially G. genetta, having spotted sides and a ringed tail.

2. the fur of such an animal.

genet

²

[jen-it]

noun

1. jennet.

Genet

³

[zhuh-ney, zhuh-ne]

noun

1. Jean 1910–86, French playwright and novelist.

Genêt

⁴

[zhuh-ney, zhuh-ne]

noun

1. Edmond Charles Edouard Citizen Genêt, 1763–1834, French minister to the U.S. in 1793.

2. pen name of Janet Flanner.

genet

¹

/ ˈdʒɛnɪt, dʒɪˈnɛt /

noun

1. any agile catlike viverrine mammal of the genus Genetta, inhabiting wooded regions of Africa and S Europe, having an elongated head, thick spotted or blotched fur, and a very long tail

2. the fur of such an animal

Genet

²

/ ʒənɛ /

noun

1. Jean (ʒɑ̃). 1910–86, French dramatist and novelist; his novels include Notre-Dame des Fleurs (1944) and his plays Les Bonnes (1947) and Le Balcon (1956)

genet

³

/ ˈdʒɛnɪt /

noun

1. an obsolete spelling of jennet

Word History and Origins

Origin of genet¹

1375–1425; late Middle English < Old French genette < Arabic jarnait

Word History and Origins

Origin of genet¹

C15: from Old French genette, from Arabic jarnayt

Example Sentences

Later, when she listened to the hoot of an eagle owl, the hiss of a genet, and the hrrr-hrrr grunt of a foraging honey badger, she didn’t feel quite as confident.

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Lions, cheetahs and leopards may be spotted during the day, while night brings out a parade of smaller carnivores, including serval, genets, civets, pale foxes and honey badgers.

Read more on New York Times

It is home to many animal species such as the spotted hyena, hippopotamus and the common genet, as well as several threatened species.

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“Maybe. We just didn’t have permits to trap leopards. We did collect genet cats, and it wasn’t there.”

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These Southeast Asian mammals are actually related to small forest predators like fossas, civets, and genets.

Read more on National Geographic