margay

American  

[mahr-gey] / ˈmɑr geɪ /

noun

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

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margay British  

/ ˈmɑːˌɡeɪ /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of margay

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

Example Sentences

The predatory lineup includes the jaguar, the mountain lion, the ocelot, the Canada lynx and the margay, as well as domesticated cats like the Siamese and the Sphynx.

From New York Times • Nov. 9, 2016

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.

From The Swiss Family Robinson or, Adventures on a Desert Island by Wyss, Jean Rudolph

Fritz was engaged in preparing the skin of the margay, with more care than Jack had shown with that of the jackal.

From The Swiss Family Robinson; or Adventures in a Desert Island by Wyss, Johann David

Besides these, we found about 65 skins of other species—jaguar, bear, ocelot, puma, margay, and raccoon.

From The Recent Mammals of Tamaulipas, Mexico by Alvarez, Ticul

Ti′ger-bee′tle, a cicindela; Tī′ger-cat, a wild-cat: the margay, ocelot, and serval; Tī′ger-flow′er, a Mexican plant cultivated in flower-gardens for its streaked flowers.—adjs.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various