bobcat

[ bob-kat ]

/ ˈbɒbˌkæt /

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noun, plural bob·cats, (especially collectively) bob·cat.

a North American wildcat, Lynx rufus, ranging from southern Canada to central Mexico, having a brownish coat with black spots.

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Also called bay lynx.

Origin of bobcat

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; bob(tail) + cat

Words nearby bobcat

bobby calf, bobby dazzler, bobby pin, bobby socks, bobbysoxer, bobcat, bobèche, bobfloat, Bobigny, boblet, bobo

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use bobcat in a sentence

Nature lovers flock to these forests to enjoy bird-watching and quiet hikes, with the occasional bobcat or moose sighting.
A Nonprofit Promised to Preserve Wildlife. Then It Made Millions Claiming It Could Cut Down Trees.|by Lisa Song, and James Temple, MIT Technology Review|May 10, 2021|ProPublica
The joint initiative seeks to capture footage of wildlife in the community so that residents in the area can understand more about the animals that they live alongside — including deer, raccoons and wild bobcats.
Video shows man wrestling puppy from alligator’s jaws without dropping his cigar|Jennifer Hassan|November 23, 2020|Washington Post
Though, I still do run the Bobcat from time to time … I swear, my timing has made me the luckiest Marine.
A Man to Believe In: Eulogy for Marine Master Sergeant Aaron Torian|Elliot Ackerman|March 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
BobcatBy Rebecca Lee For sheer reading pleasure, Bobcat is at the top of my late spring list for first story collections.
Happy Short Story Month! Three New Must-Read Collections|Jane Ciabattari|May 24, 2013|DAILY BEAST

I had a bobcat and a threelegged fox that got caught in a trap.
Chris Hedges and Joe Sacco Chronicle Mining Catastrophes in West Virginia|Chris Hedges, Joe Sacco|June 14, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It saved me once when I fought a big bobcat with only a knife.
Riders of the Silences|John Frederick
"I—I killed a bobcat up in the mountains," Stacy Brown informed them, with enthusiasm.
The Pony Rider Boys in Texas|Frank Gee Patchin
A wounded bobcat is nothing to be laughed at, and we may get some beauty scratches before we can finish him.
The Banner Boy Scouts Snowbound|George A. Warren
Or was it the other bobcat that came around to smell the pelt of his mate, and gave you something of a tussle?
The Banner Boy Scouts Snowbound|George A. Warren
In the United States, what is commonly called a wildcat is really a species of lynx—the bay lynx—often called bobcat.
The Animal World, A Book of Natural History|Theodore Wood

British Dictionary definitions for bobcat

bobcat

/ (ˈbɒbˌkæt) /

noun

a North American feline mammal, Lynx rufus, closely related to but smaller than the lynx, having reddish-brown fur with dark spots or stripes, tufted ears, and a short tailAlso called: bay lynx

Word Origin for bobcat

C19: from bob ² (referring to its short tail) + cat 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

bobcat

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Origin of bobcat

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British Dictionary definitions for bobcat

Word Origin for bobcat