civet

noun

civ·​et ˈsi-vət 

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

Illustration of civet

• civet 1

Examples of civet in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And more famously, a string of scientific papers suggest the COVID-19 pandemic originated at the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, where scores of live wild animals — racoon dogs, civets, Himalayan marmots — were housed in cramped quarters. —Jonathan Lambert, NPR, 9 Apr. 2026

The zoo also maintains a livestock barn with alpacas, ponies and capybaras, and a small animal enclosure with fennec foxes, meerkats, porcupines and palm civets. —Scott Laird, Forbes.com, 23 Feb. 2026

The animals belong to the family Viverridae, which includes civets and fossas. —Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 15 Dec. 2025

What’s so special about beans extracted from civet poo has long been debated. —New Atlas, 8 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1532, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing civet

• civet cat

Rhymes for civet

• pivot
• privet
• rivet

Kids Definition

civet

noun

civ·​et ˈsiv-ət 

1

: a thick yellowish strong-smelling substance obtained from the civet cat and used in perfume

2

: civet cat

Medical Definition

civet

noun

civ·​et ˈsiv-ət 

1

: civet cat

2

: a thick yellowish musky-odored substance found in a pouch near the sexual organs of the civet cat and used in perfume