ocelot
[os-uh-lot, oh-suh-]
noun
a spotted leopardlike cat, Felis pardalis, ranging from Texas through South America: now greatly reduced in number and endangered in the U.S.
Origin of ocelot
1765–75; < French, apparently arbitrary shortening of Nahuatl tlālōcēlōtl ocelot, equivalent to tlāl(li) earth, land + ōcēlōtl jaguar
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Related Words for ocelot
puma, panther, tabby, kitty, lynx, tiger, cougar, lion, puss, kitten, leopard, bobcat, jaguar, tomcat, pussy, ocelot, tom, cheetah, mouser, grimalkinExamples from the Web for ocelot
Historical Examples of ocelot
It was, as had been supposed, an ocelot, the most beautiful creature of that region.
In the Wilds of FloridaW.H.G. Kingston
This is well shown in the ocelot, Fig. 15, and in many other cats.
Colouration in Animals and PlantsAlfred Tylor
"The Ocelot bounds away too quickly," he observed, as if offended.
The Treasure of PearlsGustave Aimard
The ocelot is next only to the jaguar in ferocity and daring.
Lost in the Wilds of BrazilJames H. Foster
America has several Tiger-Cats, foremost amongst which may be mentioned the Ocelot.
The Book of CatsCharles H. Ross
ocelot
noun
Word Origin for ocelot
C18: via French from Nahuatl ocelotl jaguar
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
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper