viverrid

noun

vi·​ver·​rid vī-ˈver-əd How to pronounce viverrid (audio)
: any of a family (Viverridae) of carnivorous mammals that include the civets, genets, linsangs, and in some classifications the mongooses and that are rarely larger than a domestic cat but are long, slender, and like a weasel in build with short more or less retractile claws and rounded feet
viverrid adjective

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Viverridae, from Viverra, type genus, from Latin viverra ferret; akin to Old English ācweorna squirrel, Lithuanian voverė

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of viverrid was in 1902

Dictionary Entries Near viverrid

Cite this Entry

“Viverrid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/viverrid. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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