1. Small groups of cat-sized mammals from the Americas that are known for their distinctive behaviors of squirting foul-smelling musk at aggressors: Skunks of various kinds are members of the Mephitidae; including, Stripped Skunks (Canada to Mexico), Eastern-Spotted Skunks (Eastern U.S.A), Hooded Skunks (Central America), and Humboldt's Hog-Nosed Skunks (Chile and Argentina).
2. Etymology: from Latin, Mephitidae, "bad smell".