bobcat
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of bobcat
An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; bob(tail) + cat ( def. )
Compare meaning
How does bobcat compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
If you spot an animal in the woods that's about twice as big as your pet tabby, with spots like a leopard and a very short tail, it's probably a bobcat! Bobcats, a type of lynx, live all across North America, from Canada to Mexico. They prefer wooded areas, although they're also found in the mountains, in deserts, and even in the swamps of Florida. Bobcats, named for their short "bobbed" tails, prey on rabbits, chickens and other birds, rodents of various types, and even deer. Unlike their relatives, Canadian lynx, bobcats don't move easily through snow, but they're tough and adaptable enough to thrive in the north anyway.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In 2020, artist Kathryn Andrews lost her home to the Bobcat fire.
From Los Angeles Times • May 26, 2026
Five years earlier, her house in Juniper Hills burned to the ground in the Bobcat fire.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2026
They’ve lived through the Bobcat and Station fires.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 11, 2025
In 2020, the Bobcat fire blowtorched a few of my family’s beloved spots in the Angeles National Forest.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 21, 2024
“I hope you’ll want my input when the time comes. No Bobcats. I feel like everyone is a Bobcat these days,” he said before he walked away.
From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
