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:
A bobcat, coyotes and bears also visited the land, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 19, 2025
OK, yes, maybe you still have questions about the bobcat pee thing.
From Slate ● Nov. 14, 2024
Things get weirder and more delightful with a bobcat and bear band, where instruments are fashioned out of logs and vegetation, and later some Afro-Cuban frogs jamming out with acorns.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 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
I picture his dad and him sitting in the front seat of their truck talking about bobcat tracks.
From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden
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
But Gargano says the neighbourhood is peaceful and her cameras mostly capture coyotes and bobcats.
From BBC ● Feb. 7, 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
Predators such as bobcats may no longer be able to hunt for rodents and birds — tick hosts — in pocket parks or suburban landscapes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2025
Next to the steakhouse is a shooting gallery, where the fake guns have such poor aim that no one can hit the little bull’s-eyes attached to plastic cactuses, wild-eyed cowboy cutouts, and stuffed, patchy-haired bobcats.
From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling
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