| 释义 |
▪ I. civet, n.1|ˈsɪvɪt|
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.
1532New Year's Gifts in Cal. St. Papers Hen. VIII, V. 329 A beast called a civet. 1552Huloet, Ciuet, beast, cibeta. 1607Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1673) 585 A Zibeth or Sivet..which was brought out of Africa. 1774Goldsm. Nat. Hist. Anim. (1862) I. xiv. 234 The Dog kind..the Dog, the Wolf..the Civet. 1834McMurtrie 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. 1861Hulme tr. Moquin-Tandon ii. iii. ii. 115 The Common or true Civet..inhabits Guinea, Congo, and Ethiopia. This mammal 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.
1553Eden Treat. Newe Ind. (Arb.) 26 margin, Siuet or muske. 1564–78W. Bullein Dial. agst. Feuer Pest. (1888) 98 Muske and Zeuet in euery place did abounde. 1594Blundevil Exerc. v. viii. (ed. 7) 549 The precious grease or humour, which they call Civet and Zibeth. 1600Shakes. A.Y.L. iii. ii. 69 Ciuet is of a baser birth then Tarre, the verie vncleanly fluxe of a Cat. 1607Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1673) 586 This Sivet is an Excrement. 1781Cowper Conversation 283, I cannot talk with civet in the room, A fine puss-gentleman that's all perfume. 1840Barham Ingol. Leg. 273 Assafœtida mix'd with your bouquet and civet.
b. transf. and fig. Anything perfumed with civet; anything acting as a perfume.
a1653G. Daniel Idyll iii. 36 Confer It to the Civetts of an Officer, Whose Tooth-picker..Betrayes him Sleeping. 1742Young Nt. Th. v. 11 To make a civet of their song Obscene, and sweeten ordure to perfume.
3. attrib. and Comb., as civet-basket, civet-box, civet-violet; civet-smelling, civet-tanned, adjs.; civet-like adj., adv.
1654Gayton Fest. Notes ii. vi. 60 They who..busie themselves in rock-work, in *Civet-baskets, in waxen Fruit-Trees.
1684Bunyan Pilgr. ii. 204 His Name has been to me as a *Civit-Box, yea sweeter than all Perfumes.
1801Southey Thalaba v. xxxvi, In thy turn, die *civet-like at last In the dung-perfume of thy sanctity!
1616R. C. Times' Whis. iii. 979 Or kembe his *civet lockes.
1596C. Fitzgeffrey Sir F. Drake (1881) 63 A *civet-smellinge damaske rose.
1856R. Vaughan Mystics (1860) I. 151 You feather-brained, *civet-tanned puppet of a man.
1709Tatler No. 101 ⁋5 His Amber Orange-Flower, Musk, and *Civet-Violet, put..into an Handkerchief, shall have the same Effect.
▪ II. † civet, n.2 Obs.
Also 6 cyuet, siuet, siueth.
[a. F. civette dim. of cive: see chive. (Misprinted in 16th c. herbals sinet and sweth.)]
= cive or chive (Allium Schænoprasum).
1531MS. Acc. St. John's Hosp., Canterb., Itm, for Cyuet sede. 1548Turner Names of Herbes, Gethium..a ciuet. 1562― Herbal ii. 9 a, Getion is called in Englishe a Cyue, or a Ciuet, or a Chyue. Ibid. ii. 101 b, Our siuet called in Duche schnitlauch is gethium. 1578Lyte Dodoens v. lxxv. 643 Turner..Englisheth by al these names a Cyue, a Ciuet, a Chyue, or Sweth. 1597Gerarde Herball i. lxxxvii, Ciues is called..in English Ciues, Chiues, Ciuet and Sweth. 1712J. James tr. Blond's Gardening 65 Fine small Grass, resembling Civet.
▪ III. civet, n.3|ˈsɪvɪt|
[a. F. civet: Cotgr. has ‘des Civets, slices of bread toasted, then soaked an hour or two in water and wine; then strained and spice put to them; an excellent sauce’. According to Littré identical with OF. civé, and connected with cive chive. Med.L. had civeta: see Babee's Bk. ii. 42 ‘Carni oviculi, leporis, civeta paretur’.]
A stew of game or poultry. So civet de lièvre, civet of hare.
1708–15in Kersey. 1727Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v., A Civet of a Hind, Stag, or Roe-buck, may be thus order'd. 1730–6Bailey Civet, (with French Cooks) a particular way of dressing chickens, hares, etc., first frying them brown in lard, and then stewing them in broth. 1841Thackeray in Fraser's Mag. June 721/1 The place was famous for civet de lièvre. 1964Harper's Bazaar Sept. 121/1 Recipes for poaching snipe..and for a civet de lièvre. Ibid. 125/1 Other pieces [of venison] should be made into civets, with plenty of red wine.
▪ IV. civet, v.
[f. civet n.1]
To perfume with civet. Hence civeted ppl. a.
1601Cornwallyes Ess. xxviii, And civilizd, or ciuited..kisse the hand. 1785Cowper Tiroc. 830 Fops..lady-like in mien, Civeted fellows, smelt ere they are seen. |