: any of various Old World carnivorous viverrid mammals with long bodies, short legs, and a usually long tail
2
: a thick yellowish musky-odored substance found in a sac near the anus of the civet (especially genera Civettictis, Viverra, and Viverricula) and used in perfume
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civet 1
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This slightly masculine fragrance opens with zesty bergamot, then gets grassy and a little dirty thanks to the notes of vetiver and synthetic civet musk.—Emily Orofino, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2025 The diet of a reticulated python includes rodents for younger snakes, and pigs, civets and birds for older ones, per the source.—Ashlyn Messier, Fox News, 12 Nov. 2024 Animal excretions such as deer musk; castoreum, from beavers; and civet, from the perineal glands of a mammal of the same name, are no longer considered humane.—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2024 The olfactory journey spans five continents with scents both recognizable and obscure, like the musk secreted by the glands of the nocturnal civet.—Shoshi Parks, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 July 2024 See All Example Sentences for civet
Word History
Etymology
Middle French civette, from Old Italian zibetto, from Arabic zabād civet perfume
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