Meaning
little owl, flirt
- little owl (Athene noctua)
- a flirtatious woman (in figurative expressions)
- a decoy, bait, or undercover entity (as in 'auto civetta')
In a sentence
Di notte abbiamo sentito il verso di una civetta.
At night we heard the hoot of a little owl.
Smettila di fare la civetta con quel ragazzo!
Stop flirting with that guy!
I poliziotti in borghese viaggiavano su un'auto civetta.
The plainclothes police officers were traveling in an unmarked car.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| civetta | feminine · singular |
| civette | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- 'Fare la civetta' means to flirt or lead someone on playfully.
- An 'auto civetta' is an unmarked police car.