zibetnoun
Factsheet
What does the noun zibet mean?
There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun zibet. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.
Entry status
OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.
How common is the noun zibet?
| 1760 | 0.041 |
| 1770 | 0.035 |
| 1780 | 0.031 |
| 1790 | 0.03 |
| 1800 | 0.029 |
| 1810 | 0.028 |
| 1820 | 0.028 |
| 1830 | 0.0092 |
| 1840 | 0.0077 |
| 1850 | 0.0068 |
| 1860 | 0.0036 |
| 1870 | 0.003 |
| 1880 | 0.0031 |
| 1890 | 0.0025 |
| 1900 | 0.0014 |
| 1910 | 0.0014 |
| 1920 | 0.0012 |
| 1930 | 0.0011 |
| 1940 | 0.0011 |
| 1950 | 0.0012 |
| 1960 | 0.0012 |
| 1970 | 0.0011 |
| 1980 | 0.0009 |
| 1990 | 0.0009 |
| 2000 | 0.0008 |
| 2010 | 0.0006 |
How is the noun zibet pronounced?
British English
U.S. English
Where does the noun zibet come from?
Earliest known use
late 1500s
The earliest known use of the noun zibet is in the late 1500s.
OED's earliest evidence for zibet is from 1594, in the writing of Thomas Blundeville, author and translator.
zibet is a borrowing from Latin.
Etymons: Latin zibethum.
Nearby entries
- Zhdanovite, adj.1957–
- zho, n.1841–
- zhomo, n.1841–
- zhuyin zimu, n.1938–
- zhuzh, n.1968–
- zhuzh, v.1970–
- zhuzhy, adj.1968–
- ziamet, n.1807–
- ziarat, n.1776–
- zibeline, n.1585–
- zibet, n.1594–
- zibet-muff, n.1685
- zibib, n.1836–
- ziczac, n.1844–
- zidovudine, n.1987–
- Ziegfeld, n.1913–
- Ziegler, n.1957–
- Ziegler-Natta, n.1965–
- Ziehl, n.1892–
- Ziehl-Neelsen, n.1892–
- ziff, n.1917–
Etymology
Summary
Meaning & use
- 1594–A variant of civet n.1, the animal and the perfume; used distinctively (after Buffon) for the Asiatic species of Viverra, V. zibetha, and the secretion it yields (called also zibethum).
- 1594
Next to her genitories, shee hath a little bagge..into the which doeth fall the precious greace or humour, which they call Ciuet and Zibeth.
T. Blundeville, Exercises v. f. 258 - 1607
The Zibeth, or Sivet-cat.
E. Topsell, Historie of Foure-footed Beastes 756 - 1669
You would conceive..that some Chymist had dearly purchas'd their more terrene excrements, out of them to exalt his occidental zibith.
Address to Hopeful Young Gentry 44 - 1780
The zibet is probably the civet of Asia, of the East Indies, and of Arabia.
W. Smellie, translation of Comte de Buffon, Natural History General & Particular vol. V. 242 - 1843
The marks on the lateral and anterior parts of the neck are very dark in the Zibet.
Penny Cyclopaedia vol. XXVI. 406
the world physical sensation smell and odour fragrance [nouns] fragrant substance or perfume specific- ewrosec1350–1486Rose-water.
- stacte1382–A fragrant spice referred to by ancient writers; properly, the finest kind of myrrh, the exudation of the living tree (Pliny N.H. xii. xxxv), but…
- oil of rosesa1398–= rose oil, n.; attar of roses.
- rose watera1398–Water distilled from roses or scented with essence of roses, used as a perfume or flavouring, or in medicinal preparations, etc.
- sandalc1400–= sandalwood, n., in its various applications. †Also, an ointment made of powdered sandalwood.
- musk?a1425–A substance which imitates or resembles musk; any of various synthetic compounds having the characteristic persistent odour of musk and often used in…
- damask water?1520–attributive. = Made at or brought from Damascus, as damask blade, damask sword, etc. (see III.7); damask… Rose-water distilled from Damask roses.
- malabathrum1543–The aromatic leaf of a South Asian plant (probably any of several Indian trees of the genus Cinnamomum (family Lauraceae), esp. C. tamala), which…
- orris1545–= orris root, n.
- civet1553–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…
- ambracan1555–84Ambergris.
- rose cake1559–A cake of compressed rose petals used as a perfume for linens, etc. Now historical.
- lavender-water1563–A perfume compounded, with alcohol and ambergris, from the distilled flowers of lavender.
- oil of spikenard1565–(See quots.).
- zibet1594–A variant of civet, n.¹, the animal and the perfume; used distinctively (after Buffon) for the Asiatic species of Viverra, V. zibetha, and the…
- orange-flower water1595–An aqueous solution of orange flowers; the fragrant watery distillate left over in the preparation of neroli oil and used for culinary purposes…
- orris powder?1600–Powdered orris root, prized for its aromatic fragrance and (formerly) its medicinal properties.
- spike-oil1611–
- angel water1634–An aqueous extract of various flowers, esp. rose, myrtle, and orange-flowers, used as a perfume or cosmetic. Also: †angelica water (angelica water, n.…
- cypress-powder1634–1790
- angelica1653–76Angelica water; = angelica water, n. Cf. angel water, n. Obsolete. rare.
- jasmine1670–A perfume derived from the flowers of the jasmine.
- jessamy1671A perfume or cosmetic made from jasmine.
- rosat1674–1789= rose oil, n.
- frangipane1676–A perfume prepared from, or imitating the odour of, the flower of the red jasmine.
- marechale1676–A scented powder made of iris, dried orange flowers, ‘roses of province’, calamus, souchet, and other ingredients; more fully marechale powder…
- orangery1676–1744A scent or perfume extracted from the orange flower. Also: snuff scented with this perfume. Obsolete.
- tuberose1682–A perfume extracted from the flowers of this.
- jasmine-water1750A perfume made from jasmine-flowers.
- otto1759–= attar, n. Usually in otto of roses.
- rose geranium1773–Any of several geraniums with a scent of roses, esp. Pelargonium capitatum and P. graveolens, or their cultivated varieties; (also) a perfume…
- millefleurs1775–A perfume distilled from flowers of different kinds. Also figurative.
- new-mown hay1789Freshly cut, just mown.
- attar1798–A very fragrant, volatile, essential oil obtained from the petals of the rose; fragrant essence (of roses).
- eau-de-Cologne1802–French for ‘water’, occurring in the names of several liquids, used as scents or in medicine, as See… A perfume consisting of alcohol and various…
- Cologne1814–(a) A pigment consisting of a mixture of chromate and sulfate of lead with sulfate of lime. (b) In full Cologne water. = eau-de-Cologne n. at eau, n.…
- dedes1817–Musk obtained from the rasse.
- eau de Portugal1825–French for ‘water’, occurring in the names of several liquids, used as scents or in medicine, as See… A perfume comprising an essential oil known…
- verbena1837–In full oil (also essence) of verbena, verbena oil. A lemon-scented essential oil obtained from the leaves of lemon verbena, Aloysia citrodora, or…
- rondeletia1838–A perfume prepared from a mixture of lavender and cloves, and resembling the characteristic scent of rondeletias.
- bay-rum1840–An aromatic liquid, used by perfumers, obtained by distilling rum in which bay-leaves have been steeped.
- Florida water1840–Used attributively to designate things connected with Florida in origin or manufacture. Florida moss n. = longbeard, n. 2,Tillandsia usneoides; also…
- citronelle1841–More fully citronelle oil. Citronella oil (see citronella, n. 2). Now rare.
- patchouli1843–A penetrating and lasting perfume prepared from the patchouli plant (see sense 2).
- citronella1849–A lemon-scented oil obtained from two South Asian grasses, Cymbopogon nardus and C. winterianus, used in perfumery and as an insect repellent; more…
- gardenia1851–A perfume imitating the scent of a gardenia flower; the scent of a gardenia flower, esp. as used in a perfume, cosmetic, etc.
- sandalwood oil1851–A strongly aromatic oil obtained by distillation of sandalwood (Santalum) used in perfumes and cosmetics and formerly as a genito-urinary antiseptic.
- Ess Bouquet1855–The trade name of a perfume. Also elliptical as Ess.
- marmala water1857–A liquid distilled from the flowers of the bael tree, Aegle marmelos, used in Sri Lanka as a perfume for sprinkling.
- mignonette1858–A perfume derived from or resembling that of the flowers of mignonette.
- spikenard oil1861–attributive, as spikenard garden, spikenard oil.
- sandalwood1865–A perfume derived from sandalwood oil.
- serpolet1866–In full serpolet oil: see quot.
- cananga water1871–(Chiefly in form kananga water) a type of cologne or toilet water composed of cananga oil or ylang-ylang oil mixed with other essential oils…
- ylang-ylang1876–An anonaceous tree (Canangium odoratum) of Malaysia, the Philippines, etc., with fragrant greenish-yellow flowers from which a perfume is distilled…
- flower-water1886–Distilled water containing the essential oil of flowers.
- lily1890–The scent of lily of the valley, esp. as used in cosmetics, etc.
- lilac1895–The scent of lilac, esp. as used in cosmetics, etc.
- stephanotis1895–A perfume said to be prepared from the flowers of Stephanotis floribunda.
- tea rose1897–A perfume made from or named after this rose.
- chypre1898–A heavy perfume based on sandalwood, perhaps originally from Cyprus.
- Peau d'Espagne1898–A scent designed to suggest the aroma of this leather.
- violette de Parme1904–= Parma, n.¹ 1b,1c.
- poppy1905–A perfume derived from or imitating the smell of the poppy.
- Parma violet1907–In full Parma violet. A perfume made from a violet of this kind or imitating it.
- wallflower1907–(a) Applied to plants of other genera. native wallflower, the Tasmanian plant Pultenæa subumbrosa (N.O. Leguminosæ); also, in Australia, one of the…
- eau de parfum1941–A formulation of a perfume that contains a lower percentage of fragrant essential oils than parfum (parfum, n. 2b), but a higher percentage than…
- parfum1947–spec. A formulation of a perfume that has the highest concentration of fragrant essential oils. Cf. eau de parfum, n., eau de toilette n.
- whorehouse perfume1949–A strong-smelling perfume, suggestive of the kind of perfume typically supposed to be worn by prostitutes.
the world animals mammals group Unguiculata or clawed mammal order Carnivora family Viverridae [nouns] genus Viverra other types of- zibet1594–A variant of civet, n.¹, the animal and the perfume; used distinctively (after Buffon) for the Asiatic species of Viverra, V. zibetha, and the…
- fossa1792–A long-tailed cat-like mammal, Cryptoprocta ferox (family Viverridae), which is a nocturnal and arboreal predator endemic to Madagascar, where it…
- tangalung1822–The civet cat of Sumatra and Java, Viverra tangalunga; the Sumatran civet.
the world animals mammals group Unguiculata or clawed mammal order Carnivora family Viverridae [nouns] genus Viverra viverra civetta (civet) parts of- civet1553–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…
- cod1577–1873A musk gland or scent gland of a musk deer or other animal. Cf. musk-cod, n. 1. Obsolete.
- zibet1594–A variant of civet, n.¹, the animal and the perfume; used distinctively (after Buffon) for the Asiatic species of Viverra, V. zibetha, and the…
- African civet1712–†a. A musky secretion obtained from a civet of sub-Saharan Africa, Civettictis civetta, used in perfumery (obsolete. rare); b. (more fully African…
Pronunciation
British English
U.S. English
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Consonants
- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing
* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in
Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence
Vowels
- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)
Other symbols
- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.
View the pronunciation model here.
Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.
Consonants
b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values
- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige
Vowels
- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot
Forms
Variant forms
1500s– zibeth, 1600s zibith, ( sebat), 1700s– zibet.Frequency
zibet typically occurs fewer than 0.01 times per million words in modern written English.
zibet is in frequency band 1, which contains words occurring fewer than 0.001 times per million words in modern written English. More about OED's frequency bands
Frequency of zibet, n., 1760–2010
* Occurrences per million words in written English
Historical frequency series are derived from Google Books Ngrams (version 2), a data set based on the Google Books corpus of several million books printed in English between 1500 and 2010.
The overall frequency for a given word is calculated by summing frequencies for the main form of the word, any plural or inflected forms, and any major spelling variations.
For sets of homographs (distinct entries that share the same word-form, e.g. mole, n.¹, mole, n.², mole, n.³, etc.), we have estimated the frequency of each homograph entry as a fraction of the total Ngrams frequency for the word-form. This may result in inaccuracies.
Smoothing has been applied to series for lower-frequency words, using a moving-average algorithm. This reduces short-term fluctuations, which may be produced by variability in the content of the Google Books corpus.
| Decade | Frequency per million words |
|---|---|
| 1760 | 0.041 |
| 1770 | 0.035 |
| 1780 | 0.031 |
| 1790 | 0.03 |
| 1800 | 0.029 |
| 1810 | 0.028 |
| 1820 | 0.028 |
| 1830 | 0.0092 |
| 1840 | 0.0077 |
| 1850 | 0.0068 |
| 1860 | 0.0036 |
| 1870 | 0.003 |
| 1880 | 0.0031 |
| 1890 | 0.0025 |
| 1900 | 0.0014 |
| 1910 | 0.0014 |
| 1920 | 0.0012 |
| 1930 | 0.0011 |
| 1940 | 0.0011 |
| 1950 | 0.0012 |
| 1960 | 0.0012 |
| 1970 | 0.0011 |
| 1980 | 0.0009 |
| 1990 | 0.0009 |
| 2000 | 0.0008 |
| 2010 | 0.0006 |
Compounds & derived words
- zibet-muff, n. 1685A muff made of civet fur.