[civ.et] n [MF civette, fr. OIt zibetto, fr. Ar zabad civet perfume] (1532) 1: any of various Old World carnivorous mammals (family Viverridae) with long bodies, short legs, and a usu. long tail
2: a thick yellowish musky-odored substance found in a pouch near the sexual organs of the civet (esp. genera Civettictis, Viverra, and Viverricula) and used in perfume