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Webster 1913 Edition
Zibeth
{
, Zib′et
,Zib′eth
}Noun.
[Cf. It.
zibetto
. See Civet
.] (Zool.)
A carnivorous mammal (
Viverra zibetha
) closely allied to the civet, from which it differs in having the spots on the body less distinct, the throat whiter, and the black rings on the tail more numerous. ☞ It inhabits India, Southern China, and the East Indies. It yields a perfume similar to that of the civet. It is often domesticated by the natives, and then serves the same purposes as the domestic cat. Called also
Asiatic civet
or Indian civet
.