Herpestes
noun
Her·pes·tes
ˌhərˈpe(ˌ)stēz
: a genus of Old World carnivorous mammals (family Herpestidae) comprising typical mongooses
herpestine adjective or noun
-stə̇n
ˈhərpəˌstīn
Word History
Etymology
New Latin, from Greek herpēstēs animal that walks on all four feet, from herpēstēs, adjective, creeping, from herpein to creep