zorille

zorille or zoril [zôr′il, zär′il]

n.

〚Fr zorille < Sp zorilla, zorillo, dim. of zorra, zorro, fox〛

a small, striped, black and white, musteline carnivore (Ictonyx striatus) of the drier parts of Africa: it looks and smells like the skunk

* * *

zor·ille also zor·il (zôrʹĭl, zŏrʹ-) or zo·ril·la (zə-rĭlʹə) n.

A carnivorous African mammal (Ictonyx striatus) related to the weasel but resembling the skunk in appearance and in its method of defense.

  [French, from Spanish zorrillo, skunk, diminutive of zorro, fox, from Old Spanish, idler, vagabond, fox.]

* * *

▪ mammal

also spelled  Zoril, or Zorilla,  also called  Striped Polecat, African Polecat, Cape Polecat, or Striped Weasel 

      (Ictonyx [sometimes Zorilla] striatus), African carnivore of the weasel family (Mustelidae), frequenting diverse habitats. It has a slender body, 29–39 centimetres (12–16 inches) long, and a bushy white tail, 21–31 cm long. Its fur is long and black, white striped on the back and white spotted on the face. Usually solitary, the zorille hunts at night, feeding on rodents and insects. A typical litter contains two or three young.

* * *