CIVET CAT

Pronunciation (US):

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does civet cat mean? 

• CIVET CAT (noun)
  The noun CIVET CAT has 2 senses:

1. raccoon-like omnivorous mammal of Mexico and the southwestern United States having a long bushy tail with black and white rings

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

  Familiarity information: CIVET CAT used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CIVET CAT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Raccoon-like omnivorous mammal of Mexico and the southwestern United States having a long bushy tail with black and white rings

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

Bassariscus astutus; bassarisk; cacomistle; cacomixle; civet cat; coon cat; miner's cat; raccoon fox; ring-tailed cat; ringtail

Hypernyms ("civet cat" is a kind of...):

procyonid (plantigrade carnivorous mammals)

Holonyms ("civet cat" is a member of...):

Bassariscus; genus Bassariscus (cacomistles)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Cat-like mammal typically secreting musk used in perfumes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

civet; civet cat

Hypernyms ("civet cat" is a kind of...):

viverrine; viverrine mammal (small cat-like predatory mammals of warmer parts of the Old World)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "civet cat"):

large civet; Viverra zibetha (common civet of India and southeast Asia)

small civet; Viverricula indica; Viverricula malaccensis (a common civet of southeast Asia)

Arctictis bintourong; bearcat; binturong (arboreal civet of Asia having a long prehensile tail and shaggy black hair)

Cryptoprocta; genus Cryptoprocta (large primitive cat-like carnivores inhabiting forests of Madagascar)

fanaloka; Fossa fossa (civet of Madagascar)

banded palm civet; Hemigalus hardwickii (an East Indian civet)

palm cat; palm civet (spotted or striped arboreal civet of southeast Asia and East Indies)

Holonyms ("civet cat" is a member of...):

family Viverridae; family Viverrinae; Viverridae; Viverrinae (genets; civets; mongooses)

 Context examples 

Elephants, as well as other large, charismatic animals such as tigers, monkeys and civet cats, are under attack from hunters and poachers.

(Overhunting of large animals has catastrophic effects on trees, NSF)