palm civet
1
9.9
- noun
- Philippine
Examples
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The Asian palm civet is a skillful climber and dangerous to the tree-dwelling tarsiers.
Academic text (2010) -
The palm civet is known for its cat-like appearance and is often spotted in the trees of Southeast Asia.
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As a nocturnal animal, the palm civet is most active during the night, hunting for fruits and small insects.
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In the jungles of Indonesia, the palm civet plays a crucial role in the ecosystem by dispersing seeds through its diet.
Synonyms
1
8.4
A small cat-like animal from Asia or Africa that makes a strong smell used in perfume
1
9.9
A group of small to medium mammals active at night like palm civets found in South and Southeast Asia
A small wild animal like a cat with spots or stripes that lives in trees in Southeast Asian forests
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound plainly combines 'palm' (a palm tree) with 'civet' (a catlike mammal), so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a civet associated with palms (i.e., a tree-dwelling civet). This noun–noun compositional pattern is straightforward and common cross-linguistically, making the meaning predictable from the parts.
Etymology
Palm civet gets its name from where it lives: the word palm points to palm trees and civet is the small animal. So the name makes a clear image of a little 'tree-living' mammal that comes out at night, which is why it refers to that specific animal today.