caracal

[kar-uh-kal]

noun

1. a slender, catlike mammal, Lynx caracal, with a reddish-brown coat and long tufted ears, inhabiting northern Africa and India.

2. the fur of this animal.

caracal

/ ˈkærəˌkæl /

noun

1. Also called: desert lynx. a lynxlike feline mammal, Lynx caracal, inhabiting deserts of N Africa and S Asia, having long legs, a smooth coat of reddish fur, and black-tufted ears

2. the fur of this animal

Word History and Origins

Origin of caracal¹

1750–60; < French, apparently Buffon's adaption of Turkish karakulak lynx ( kara black + kulak ear)

Word History and Origins

Origin of caracal¹

C18: from French, from Turkish kara kūlāk, literally: black ear

Example Sentences

They included a caracal, two servals and 16 hybrid felines.

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This area – spanning parts of modern-day Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Iran and more – is home to numerous small cats, including the caracal, serval, jungle cat and sand cat.

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One of the infected animals wasn't a house cat, but rather a caracal, which is a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa.

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Her traps were destroyed by jackals, honey badgers, and the caracal—she was certain of its identity now.

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A striking image of a caracal hunting flamingo in Tanzania has won first prize in the 2022 Nature TTL Photographer of the Year competition.

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Related Words

• bobcat 
• wildcat