: 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
Illustration of civet
civet 1
Examples of civet in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the WebThe trail is a palimpsest of their giant, pancake-round tracks and the lobed pads of hyenas or toes of civets.—Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Apr. 2024 But the spotted hyena is related to cats, civets, and mongooses, an entirely different branch of the carnivore family tree.—Robert Baker, Discover Magazine, 12 Nov. 2019 Visitors have the chance to encounter a variety of wildlife, including sambar deer, various species of civets, spotted linsang, Asian golden cats, leopard cats, pythons and others.—Sandra MacGregor, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 This top pick features notes of bergamot, neroli, pink pepper, rose, jasmine, honeysuckle, marshmallow, orange blossom, white musk, vanilla, civet, and labdanum for a bold and feminine aroma.—Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 14 Dec. 2023 Otters, seals, civets and sea lions had larger areas.—Elizabeth Gamillo, Discover Magazine, 23 Aug. 2023 Pure civet is a crude, buttery-yellow paste that turns darker with age.—Mallory Locklear, Discover Magazine, 12 Oct. 2014 But the civets proved to be intermediate hosts, and its natural host was later identified as horseshoe bats.—David Quammen, New York Times, 25 July 2023 Inside the civet's digestive tract, the beans are fermented and broken down, then the coffee is harvested from the civet's feces, washed thoroughly and roasted.—Josie Goodrich, USA TODAY, 7 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'civet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle French civette, from Old Italian zibetto, from Arabic zabād civet perfume
Share