civet

/'sivit/

Thân thiện

A civet rests on a tree branch in a tropical forest.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A cat-like mammal: A small, nocturnal carnivorous mammal with a long body, short legs, and a pointed muzzle, resembling a cat. Several species are known for secreting a strong-smelling substance.
   • The musk-like secretion: The strong-smelling, fatty substance obtained from the glands of this animal, historically used as a base in perfumery.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Animal):
  • The African civet is a solitary creature.
  • We saw a civet in the forest at night.
• Noun (Substance):
  • Traditional perfumers once used civet as a fixative.
  • The scent of pure civet is very potent and must be diluted.

Advanced Usage

• "Civet cat": A common but potentially misleading name for the animal, as it is not a true cat. This term is often used in older texts or general descriptions.
  • The so-called "civet cat" is more closely related to mongooses than to domestic cats.

Variants and Related Words

• Civettictis civetta (n): The scientific name for the African civet.
• Viverridae (n): The biological family to which civets belong, which also includes genets and linsangs.

Synonyms

• Musk cat (n): An archaic or alternative name for the civet, referring to its musk-producing ability.
• Perfume civet (n): A term emphasizing the animal's historical use in perfumery.

Related Phrases

• Civet oil (n): The refined or processed substance derived from civet glands.
  • Civet oil was a precious commodity in the spice trade.
• Civet coffee (n): A term for kopi luwak, a coffee made from beans digested by the Asian palm civet. (Note: This is a compound term where "civet" modifies "coffee").
  • Civet coffee is one of the world's most expensive coffees.

Related Idioms

(No common idioms are directly formed from the word "civet" itself.)

Học thuật

Noun

1. cat-like mammal typically secreting musk used in perfumes

Từ đồng nghĩa

• civet cat