bobcat
Americannoun
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bobcats,
plural
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bobcat
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected 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.
See Examples For:
His security cameras once captured a bobcat walking past a feral cat on his property.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 1, 2025
OK, yes, maybe you still have questions about the bobcat pee thing.
From Slate ● Nov. 14, 2024
If you saw a red-tailed hawk injured after colliding with an office window, or a bobcat hit by a car, what would you do?
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 18, 2024
In their latest research, Duffy and his team showed that they could readily recover bobcat DNA from the serendipitous tracks.
From Science Daily ● Jan. 9, 2024
“That’s a helluva cut. Wild pig coulda done it. Or a bobcat maybe. You should see the claws on them things.”
From "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" by Ransom Riggs
As mountain lion activity increased, coyotes and bobcats were observed less frequently.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026
Working with other volunteers, Smee has helped remove invasive plants and plant native species, including 30 oak trees that attract local wildlife like the endangered monarch butterfly, mountain lions and bobcats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 30, 2026
In the Vermont woods where Mr. Hoagland lives, coyotes have replaced wolves while bobcats have taken the place of Canada lynx.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025
The sanctuary said it had lost five African serval cats, four bobcats, two Canada lynx and a Bengal tiger, among others.
From BBC ● Dec. 25, 2024
“Because there are coyotes and bobcats, and I’d really like my cat not to be eaten this evening, if it’s all the same to you.”
From "Nine, Ten: A September 11 Story" by Nora Raleigh Baskin
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.
