ocelot

American  

[os-uh-lot, oh-suh-] / ˈɒs əˌlɒt, ˈoʊ sə- /

noun

1. a spotted leopardlike cat, Felis pardalis, ranging from Texas through South America: now greatly reduced in number and endangered in the U.S.

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ocelot British  

/ ˈɒsɪˌlɒt, ˈəʊ- /

noun

1. a feline mammal, Felis pardalis, inhabiting the forests of Central and South America and having a dark-spotted buff-brown coat

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Other Word Forms

• oceloid adjective

Etymology

Origin of ocelot

1765–75; < French, apparently arbitrary shortening of Nahuatl tlālōcēlōtl ocelot, equivalent to tlāl ( li ) earth, land + ōcēlōtl jaguar

Compare meaning

How does ocelot compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• ocelot vs. bobcat

Example Sentences

There’s a new ocelot kitten at the Los Angeles Zoo, delighting zookeepers and visitors.

From New York Times

Visitors to the Los Angeles Zoo will soon have the chance to catch a glimpse of a new ocelot kitten, which zoo officials said is almost big enough to enter the animal’s public habitat.

From Los Angeles Times

Eventually they spotted ocelots and golden eagles, six different species of rattlesnake and a jaguar.

From Seattle Times

“It’s not one of our native big cat species, mountain lion, bobcat, ocelot or jaguar. It’s pretty big for a house cat,” Arizona Game and Fish Department spokesman Tom Cadden told The Arizona Republic Wednesday.

From Washington Times

Earlier this year, Reuters reported for the first time that scientists were finding mammals, from titi monkeys to ocelots, showing signs of mercury contamination near a Peruvian gold mining hotspot.

From Reuters

Related Words

• kitten
• kitty