Also 6 zeuet, 6–7 sivet, 7 cyvet, 7–9 civit. [a. F. civette (15th c. in Littré, both for the beast and the perfume), It. zibetto, med.L. zibethum, med.Gr. ζαπέτιον, all originating in the Arab. name zabād, zubād. (Intermediate forms, now app. lost, must have come between the Arabic and the European words.) See also ZIBET.
The Arabic lexicographers connect the word with zabada to cream, foam, zubd froth, cream, zubbād cream, etc., as if orig. applied to the secretion; but Devic inclines to think that there is a mere accidental coincidence between these words and the name of the quadruped, which was perh. adopted from some African language.]
1. A genus of carnivorous quadrupeds, yielding the secretion called by the same name. Specifically, the central African species, Viverra civetta, an animal ranking in size and appearance between the fox and the weasel. Often called more fully Civet Cat. The allied Asiatic species V. zibetha is often distinguished by the variant name ZIBET. The Javanese species is the Rasse.
1532. New Year’s Gifts, in Cal. St. Papers Hen. VIII., V. 329. A beast called a civet.
1552. Huloet, Ciuet, beast, cibeta.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1673), 585. A Zibeth or Sivet … which was brought out of Africa.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. Anim. (1862), I. xiv. 234. The Dog kind … the Dog, the Wolf … the Civet.
1834. McMurtrie, Cuvier’s Anim. Kingd., 66. In the true Civets there is a deep pouch divided into two sacs, filled with an abundant pommade of a strong musty odour, secreted by glands which surround it.
1861. Hulme, trans. Moquin-Tandon, II. III. ii. 115. The Common or true Civet … inhabits Guinea, Congo, and Ethiopia.
This small mammalia is about twenty-eight inches long.
2. A yellowish or brownish unctuous substance, having a strong musky smell, obtained from sacs or glands in the anal pouch of several animals of the Civet genus, especially of the African Civet-cat. It is used in perfumery.
1553. Eden, Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.), 26, margin. Siuet or muske.
1564–78. Bulleyn, Dial. agst. Feuer Pest. (1888), 98. Muske and Zeuet in euery place did abounde.
1594. Blundevil, Exerc., V. viii. (ed. 7), 549. The precious grease or humour, which they call Civet and Zibeth.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., III. ii. 69. Ciuet is of a baser birth then Tarre, the verie vncleanly fluxe of a Cat.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1673), 586. This Sivet is an Excrement.
1781. Cowper, Conversation, 283. I cannot talk with civet in the room, A fine puss-gentleman that’s all perfume.
1840. Barham, Ingol. Leg., 273. Assafœtida mix’d with your bouquet and civet.
b. transf. and fig. Anything perfumed with civet; anything acting as a perfume.
a. 1653. G. Daniel, Idyll, III. 36. Confer It to the Civetts of an Officer, Whose Tooth-picker … Betrayes him Sleeping.
1742. Young, Nt. Th., V. 11. To make a civet of their song Obscene, and sweeten ordure to perfume.
3. attrib. and Comb., as civet-basket, -box, -violet; civet-smelling, -tanned, adjs.; civet-like adj., adv.
1654. Gayton, Festiv. Notes, II. vi. 60. They who … busie themselves in rock-work, in *Civet-baskets, in waxen Fruit-Trees.
1684. Bunyan, Pilgr., II. 204. His Name has been to me as a *Civit-Box, yea sweeter than all Perfumes.
1801. Southey, Thalaba, V. xxxvi. In thy turn, die *civet-like at last In the dung-perfume of thy sanctity!
1616. R. C., Times’ Whis., III. 979. Or kembe his *civet lockes.
1596. Fitz-Geffrey, Sir F. Drake (1881), 63. A *civet-smellinge damaske rose.
1856. R. Vaughan, Mystics (1860), I. 151. You feather-brained, *civet-tanned puppet of a man.
1709. Tatler, No. 101, ¶ 5. His Amber Orange-Flower, Musk, and *Civet-Violet, put … into an Handkerchief, shall have the same Effect.
