genet

or ge·nette

[ jen-it, juh-net ]

/ ˈdʒɛn ɪt, dʒəˈnɛt /

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noun

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

the fur of such an animal.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of genet

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

Other definitions for genet (2 of 4)

genet²

[ jen-it ]

/ ˈdʒɛn ɪt /

noun

jennet (def. 2).

Other definitions for genet (3 of 4)

Genet

[ zhuh-ney; French zhuh-ne ]

/ ʒəˈneɪ; French ʒəˈnɛ /

noun

Jean

[zhahn], /ʒɑ̃/, 1910–86, French playwright and novelist.

Other definitions for genet (4 of 4)

Genêt

[ zhuh-ney; French zhuh-ne ]

/ ʒəˈneɪ; French ʒəˈnɛ /

noun

Ed·mond Charles E·douard

[ed-mawnsharl ey-dwar], /ɛdˈmɔ̃ ʃarl eɪˈdwar/, "Citizen Genêt", 1763–1834, French minister to the U.S. in 1793.

pen name of Janet Flanner.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use genet in a sentence

There she met Janet Flanner, who would become a famed New Yorker correspondent “Genet”—for three decades.
The Bookstore That Bewitched Mick Jagger, John Lennon, and Greta Garbo|Felice Picano|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
After this debut, Goines continued to write at a furious pace, producing a body of work that echoed Celine, Genet, and Burroughs.
The 10 Best Books About the Motor City|Bill Morris|August 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The fossane has been called the genet of Madagascar, but that animal is of a different species, as will hereafter be shewn.
Buffon's Natural History. Volume VII (of 10)|Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon
They have both been sometimes confounded with the weasel of Virginia, the genet, the musk-deer, and even with the hyna.
Buffon's Natural History. Volume VII (of 10)|Georges Louis Leclerc de Buffon

Without it all the turbulence of Genet would have been as the idle wind.
Charles Sumner; His Complete Works, Volume XI (of 20)|Charles Sumner
Genet was warned that the vessel could not sail; he refused to give definite assurances that it would not be ordered to sea.
Thomas Jefferson|Gilbert Chinard
Hamilton and Knox were decidedly in favor of stronger measures and of deciding then and there upon the "renvoi" of Genet.
Thomas Jefferson|Gilbert Chinard

British Dictionary definitions for genet (1 of 3)

genet¹

genette (dʒɪˈnɛt)

/ (ˈdʒɛnɪt) /

noun

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

the fur of such an animal

Word Origin for genet

C15: from Old French genette, from Arabic jarnayt

British Dictionary definitions for genet (2 of 3)

genet²

/ (ˈdʒɛnɪt) /

noun

an obsolete spelling of jennet

British Dictionary definitions for genet (3 of 3)

Genet

/ (French ʒənɛ) /

noun

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)

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