Definition

1. Noun:
   • Civet, viverrine: A small, carnivorous mammal, often with a long body and tail, belonging to the family Viverridae.
   • (Slang) Dog (as food): In informal contexts, especially when referring to meat, it can mean a dog.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Con cầy hương thường được nuôi để lấy xạ hương. (The civet is often raised for its musk.)
  • Ở một số vùng, thịt cầy là một món ăn đặc biệt. (In some regions, dog meat is a specialty dish.)

Advanced Usage

• "run như cầy sấy": To shiver or tremble violently (like a dried civet). This is a vivid simile describing intense shivering, often from cold or fear.
  • Trời lạnh quá, nó run như cầy sấy. (It's so cold, he's shivering like a dried civet.)

Variants and Related Words

• Cầy hương (n): Specific term for the common palm civet or musk civet.
• Họ cầy (n): The biological family Viverridae (viverrids).
• Cầy vòi hương (n): Specific term for the binturong or bearcat.
• Cầy giông (n): Specific term for the otter civet.

Synonyms

• Chó (n): Dog. (Note: "Chó" is the standard, neutral term for dog, while "cầy" in the food context is a specific, often euphemistic or slang usage.)
• Cầy cáo (n): Fox. (This is a regional or folk name, not a precise zoological synonym for "cầy".)

Notes on Meaning

• The word "cầy" has two distinct meanings. The primary, formal meaning refers to a zoological category (civet). The secondary, informal meaning is a euphemistic or slang term for dog, used almost exclusively in the compound phrase "thịt cầy" (dog meat). It is crucial to distinguish these uses based on context.

noun

1. Civet, viverrine
2. khẩu ngữ) Chow (as food)
   • thịt cầy
     chow-meat, dog-meat
   • run như cầy sấy
     to shiver