ocelot
Americannoun
-
ocelots
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
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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.
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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
What appears to be the ocelot or jaguar is the favorite subject.
From Ancient art of the province of Chiriqui, Colombia Sixth Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1884-1885, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1888, pages 3-188 by William Henry Holmes
With them go their predators, the jaguars, ocelots and—yes—anacondas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 29, 2026
Every day in the U.S. alone, more than a million vertebrate animals meet their end on the asphalt, among them rarities like Florida panthers and ocelots.
From Slate ● May 25, 2024
Eventually they spotted ocelots and golden eagles, six different species of rattlesnake and a jaguar.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 18, 2023
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 ● Nov. 1, 2023
Sleepiness and slothfulness keep it out of harm’s way, away from the notice of jaguars, ocelots, harpy eagles and anacondas.
From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel
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