Abbreviation for "civil court." When in a citation such as Civ. 5-79-178, it stands for the docket number of an unpublished case (according to a University of Montana law librarian). Docket: A formal record in which a judge or court clerk briefly notes all the proceedings and filings in a court case.... Docket number: A number that the court clerk assigns a case on the court's docket. ( Black's Law Dictionary. 7th edition. Bryan A. Garner, editor-in-chief. St. Paul, Minn.: West Group; 1999.).