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Definition of civet
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
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Recent Examples of civet from the Web
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The prohibition of caged civets is specifically singled out in the SAN guidelines for coffee in Indonesia.
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These Southeast Asian mammals are actually related to small forest predators like fossas, civets, and genets.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'civet'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Illustration of civet
Origin and Etymology of civet
Medieval French civette, from Old Italian zibetto, from Arabic zabād civet perfume
CIVET Defined for English Language Learners
civet
playDefinition of civet for English Language Learners
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: a wild animal that is like a cat and that has a long body, short legs, and a long tail
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: a substance from the body of the civet that has a strong smell and is sometimes used to make perfume
Medical Dictionary
Learn More about civet
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See words that rhyme with civet Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about civet
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