Adjacent Words

civet cat definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: raccoon-like omnivorous mammal of Mexico and the southwestern United States having a long bushy tail with black and white rings [syn: bassarisk, cacomistle, cacomixle, coon cat, raccoon fox, ringtail, ring- tailed cat, civet cat, miner's cat, Bassariscus astutus]
2: cat-like mammal typically secreting musk used in perfumes [syn: civet, civet cat]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 1607 1. civet 1 2. ringtail 2 3. any of several small spotted skunks (genus Spilogale) of western North America

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Civet Civ"et, n. [F. civette (cf. It. zibetto) civet, civet cat, fr. LGr. ?, fr. Ar. zub?d, zab?d, civet.] 1. A substance, of the consistence of butter or honey, taken from glands in the anal pouch of the civet (Viverra civetta). It is of clear yellowish or brownish color, of a strong, musky odor, offensive when undiluted, but agreeable when a small portion is mixed with another substance. It is used as a perfume. 2. (Zo["o]l) The animal that produces civet (Viverra civetta); -- called also civet cat. It is carnivorous, from two to three feet long, and of a brownish gray color, with transverse black bands and spots on the body and tail. It is a native of northern Africa and of Asia. The name is also applied to other species.