margay

[ mahr-gey ]

/ ˈmɑr geɪ /

noun

a small tiger cat, Felis tigrina, of tropical America: now rare.

Nearby words

margarita, margaritaceous, margarite, margate, margaux, margay, marge, margelan, margent, margery, margherita

Origin of margay

1775–85; < French (Buffon), alteration of margaia < Portuguese maracajá < Tupi marakaya

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

Examples from the Web for margay

When we were ready to set out, Fritz presented each of us with a little case he had made from the skin of the margay.
The Swiss Family Robinson; or Adventures in a Desert Island|Johann David Wyss
We may see the ocelot skulking through the deep shade, or the margay springing upon its winged prey.
The Forest Exiles|Mayne Reid
Fritz presented us each with a neat case of margay skin to hang at our girdles.
The Swiss Family Robinson|Johann David Wyss
Fritz was engaged in preparing the skin of the margay, with more care than Jack had shown with that of the jackal.
The Swiss Family Robinson; or Adventures in a Desert Island|Johann David Wyss

I should say this was a margay, and it would have proved a cruel foe, not only of our poultry, but also of our sheep and goats.
The Swiss Family Robinson|Johann David Wyss

British Dictionary definitions for margay

margay

/ (ˈmɑːˌɡeɪ) /

noun

a feline mammal, Felis wiedi, of Central and South America, having a dark-striped coat

Word Origin for margay

C18: from French, from Tupi mbaracaiá

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