palm civet

American  

noun

1. any of various small to medium-sized, chiefly arboreal cats of the civet family, of southeastern Asia, the East Indies, etc., with a spotted or striped coat and a long curled tail.

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palm civet British  

noun

1. any of various small civet-like arboreal viverrine mammals of the genera Paradoxurus, Hemigalus, etc, of Africa and S and SE Asia

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Etymology

Origin of palm civet

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

In that case, the virus was isolated in a widely-traded animal called a palm civet.

From BBC • Jul. 9, 2021

The palm civet is devoured as a sham cure for insomnia.

From The Guardian • Apr. 11, 2020

While many people know that Sumatran kopi luwak coffee comes from beans eaten and excreted by the palm civet, fewer know that the Sumatran tree sloth poops decaf.

From Washington Post • Aug. 16, 2018

At first scientists found the virus in the catlike palm civet of Southeast Asia.

From New York Times • May 30, 2011

In Indonesia, the Asian palm civet, which raids commercial fruit farms, is often seen as a pest, so the growth in the kopi luwak industry encouraged local people to protect civets for their valuable dung.

From National Geographic