margay

American  

[mahr-gay] / 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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

margay

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

The races of the ocelot and margay in Middle America.

From The Recent Mammals of Tamaulipas, Mexico by Ticul Alvarez

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

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 Jean Rudolph Wyss

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.

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

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