lynx

[lingks]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR lynx ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural lynx·es, (especially collectively) lynx for 1.

any of several wildcats of the genus Lynx (or Felis), having long limbs, a short tail, and usually tufted ears, especially L. lynx (Canada lynx), of Canada and the northern U.S., having grayish-brown fur marked with white.

genitive Lyn·cis

[lin-sis] /ˈlɪn sɪs/. (initial capital letter) Astronomy. a northern constellation between Ursa Major and Auriga.

Origin of lynx

1300–50; Middle English < Latin < Greek lýnx

Related formslynx·like, adjective

Can be confusedlinks lynx

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for lynx

wildcat, bobcat, cat, catamount, caracal

Examples from the Web for lynx

Contemporary Examples of lynx

In a Lynx, however, Harry could take part in reconnaissance missions and transport passengers.
Can Harry Bury the Party Prince?
Tom Sykes
December 2, 2014
The Lynx can be refueled like a car and will be able to fly four times a day.
Up to a Point: A 'Space Corvette' in Every Garage
P. J. O’Rourke
September 6, 2014
I went to see the Lynx being built at Mojave Air and Space Port, near Edwards Air Force Base in the California desert.
Up to a Point: A 'Space Corvette' in Every Garage
P. J. O’Rourke
September 6, 2014
Some are also unhappy about the Italian sale of Lynx armored personnel carriers to Russia.
Germany Helped Prep Russia for War, U.S. Sources Say
Josh Rogin
April 22, 2014
A Royal Navy Pilot sits inside a Lynx helicopter at RAF Odiham air base today ahead of a rehearsal for a Diamond Jubilee flypast.
Royal Navy, Army and RAF Helicopter Crews Prepare Ahead Of The Diamond Jubilee
May 18, 2012

Historical Examples of lynx

It was a lynx kitten, partly grown, like the cub, but not so large.
White Fang
Jack London
Once, the cub sprang in and sank his teeth into the hind leg of the lynx.
White Fang
Jack London
First for the tail of my lynx, and then a bee-line for the camp.
The Fiery Totem
Argyll Saxby
The lynx was uppermost, and she made a vicious snap at the boy's face.
The Fiery Totem
Argyll Saxby
With the disappearance of rabbits, the fox and lynx had also disappeared.
The Gaunt Gray Wolf
Dillon Wallace

British Dictionary definitions for lynx

lynx

noun plural lynxes or lynx

a feline mammal, Felis lynx (or canadensis), of Europe and North America, with grey-brown mottled fur, tufted ears, and a short tailRelated adjective: lyncean

the fur of this animal

bay lynx another name for bobcat

desert lynx another name for caracal

Also called: Polish lynx a large fancy pigeon from Poland, with spangled or laced markings

Derived Formslynxlike, adjective

Word Origin for lynx

C14: via Latin from Greek lunx; related to Old English lox, German Luchs

Lynx

noun Latin genitive Lyncis (ˈlɪnsɪs)

a faint constellation in the N hemisphere lying between Ursa Major and Cancer

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

Word Origin and History for lynx

mid-14c., from Latin lynx (source of Spanish, Portuguese, Italian lince), from Greek lyngz, perhaps from PIE *leuk- "light" (see light (n.)), in reference to its gleaming eyes or its ability to see in the dark.

If that men hadden eyghen of a beeste that highte lynx, so that the lokynge of folk myghte percen thurw the thynges that withstonden it. [Chaucer's "Boethius," c.1380]

Cf. Lithuanian luzzis, Old High German luhs, German luchs, Old English lox, Dutch los, Swedish lo "lynx."