Main Entry: civ·et

Pronunciation: \ˈsi-vət\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle French civette, from Old Italian zibetto, from Arabic zabād civet perfume

Date: 1532

1 : 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

[civet illustration]