genet

¹ American  

[jen-it, juh-net] / ˈdʒɛn ɪt, dʒəˈnɛt /

Or genette

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.

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genet ² American  

[jen-it] / ˈdʒɛn ɪt /

noun

1. jennet.

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Genet ³ American  

[zhuh-ney, zhuh-ne] / ʒəˈneɪ, ʒəˈnɛ /

noun

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

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Genêt ⁴ American  

[zhuh-ney, zhuh-ne] / ʒəˈneɪ, ʒəˈnɛ /

noun

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

2. pen name of Janet Flanner.

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genet ¹ British  

/ 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

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Genet ² British  

/ 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)

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genet ³ British  

/ ˈdʒɛnɪt /

noun

1. an obsolete spelling of jennet

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Etymology

Origin of genet

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

Example Sentences

Like the egret, the genet feeds on insects stirred up by the grazing ungulates.

From National Geographic • Sep. 17, 2015

At around $5 per pound, the servaline genet, a type of small carnivore, was the most expensive species for sale at both urban and rural markets.

From New York Times • Dec. 29, 2011

The lavender had not yet bloomed, but roses were in flower; yellow genet flamed above the low stone hotel walls.

From New York Times • Jun. 17, 2011

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

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

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.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer