A cat-like carnivorous mammal found in Africa and Asia, or the musky secretion from its scent glands used in perfumery. The secretion has a strong, distinctive odor that becomes pleasant when diluted.
From Arabic zabād meaning 'civet perfume', referring to the animal's scent glands. The word entered English via Old French civette in the 16th century. European traders encountered both the animal and its valuable secretion through Arabic merchants who controlled much of the perfume trade.
Civet cats aren't actually cats at all—they're more closely related to mongooses! The Arabic traders who named them zabād created a perfume industry that lasted centuries, with civet farms becoming major businesses across Asia and Africa.
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