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CIVET
- Any of various carnivorous catlike mammals of the family Viverridae of Africa and Asia which look like long-nosed cats but are related to the mongoose; also called a civet cat, the animals secrete a thick yellowish musky fluid used in the manufacture of perfumes, and are eaten as a delicacy by some Chinese.
- Usage: Reports of the discovery by scientists in Hong Kong of viruses very similar to the human SARS virus found in six masked palm civets taken from animal markets in the southern China province of Guangdong, where the SARS outbreak is thought to have originated.
Source: The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition; additional information from various on-line resources.
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KAANAPALI
- A thee-mile beach on the dry and sunny side of the Hawaiian island of Maui lauded for its white coral sand and clean, clear emerald-green waters.
- Usage: Story on the winner of this year's list of "America's Best Beaches," issued by Dr. Stephen Leatherman, nicknamed "Dr. Beach," the director of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research.
Source: Various on-line resources.
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