ailurophile
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
- ailurophilia noun
- ailurophilic adjective
Etymology
Origin of ailurophile
1925–30; < Greek aílouro ( s ) cat + -phile
Explanation
You can call a cat lover an ailurophile. If you have three cats and find yourself talking about kitties all the time, you're probably an ailurophile. An ailurophile absolutely adores felines. Having beloved cats of your own, volunteering at a cat shelter, wearing cute cat sweatshirts, or otherwise expressing your appreciation for cats all make you an official ailurophile. This word adds the suffix -phile, or "one that loves," to the Greek ailouros, "wildcat," from roots meaning "quick-moving" and "tail."
Vocabulary lists containing ailurophile
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 1996, a male colleague watching him horah at my Soho wedding asked, "How does a guy dressed like that get any dates?" — jealous that Stan remained catnip for women, and an ailurophile too.
From Salon • Feb. 19, 2023
The cafe’s name Ailuromania is a play on the Greek-derived English word for a lover of cats: ailurophile.
From Reuters • Feb. 28, 2021
"We threw the cat in," says Joel, who is not, it seems, much of an ailurophile, because the film "didn't really have a plot".
From The Guardian • May 23, 2013
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.
