ocelot

American  

[os-uh-lot, oh-suh-] / ˈɒs əˌlɒt, ˈoʊ sə- /

noun

1. a spotted leopardlike cat, Felis pardalis, ranging from Texas through South America: now greatly reduced in number and endangered in the U.S.

---

ocelot British  

/ ˈɒsɪˌlɒt, ˈəʊ- /

noun

1. a feline mammal, Felis pardalis, inhabiting the forests of Central and South America and having a dark-spotted buff-brown coat

---

Other Word Forms

• oceloid adjective

Etymology

Origin of ocelot

1765–75; < French, apparently arbitrary shortening of Nahuatl tlālōcēlōtl ocelot, equivalent to tlāl ( li ) earth, land + ōcēlōtl jaguar

Compare meaning

How does ocelot compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• ocelot vs. bobcat

Example Sentences

In Ecuador and Peru, community-led programmes, forest purchases and monitoring schemes are helping protect spectacled bears, as well as ocelot, jaguarundi and mountain tapir.

From The Guardian

What’s indisputable, according to wildlife experts, is that by severing and damaging natural habitats, they will have devastating effects on various species, including jaguar, ocelot, javelinas and pronghorns.

From Washington Post

It’s more difficult for desert tortoises, the occasional ocelot and the world’s tiniest owls to cross the boundary.

From Seattle Times

They said they also are concerned that explosions to clear rugged territory will endanger the Guadalupe Canyon, home to wildlife such as jaguars, ocelots, rattlesnakes and the Chiricahua leopard frog.

From Washington Post

He set up game cameras to track the wall’s impact on jaguars, ocelots, mountain lions and other animals that routinely cross the border.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• kitten
• kitty