n.
Pronunciation: ' si-v ə t
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French civette, from Old Italian zibetto, from Arabic zab ā d 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 (esp. genera Civettictis, Viverra, and Viverricula ) and used in perfume
civet