ocelot
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ocelot
1765–75; < French, apparently arbitrary shortening of Nahuatl tlālōcēlōtl ocelot, equivalent to tlāl ( li ) earth, land + ōcēlōtl jaguar
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Vocabulary lists containing ocelot
National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 2
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English Words Derived from Nahuatl
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Akers would like to see all hermit crabs legally reclassified as exotic pets, like an alligator or an ocelot, so their sale and ownership could be regulated.
From Slate • Aug. 19, 2025
There’s a new ocelot kitten at the Los Angeles Zoo, delighting zookeepers and visitors.
From New York Times • Jan. 17, 2024
The ocelot is a midsize cat — larger than a house cat but smaller than a bobcat, according to the zoo.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2023
“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 • Nov. 16, 2023
A shot fired by the Indian led us back to the bivouac; our companion had just killed an ocelot, called by the Indians ocotchotli.
From Adventures of a Young Naturalist by Gillmore, Parker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
