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serval

[ sur-vuhl ]

noun

, plural ser·vals, (especially collectively) ser·val.
  1. a long-limbed, nocturnal African cat, Felis serval, about the size of a bobcat, having a tawny coat spotted with black: now rare in many former habitats.


serval

/ ˈsɜːvəl /

noun

  1. a slender feline mammal, Felis serval, of the African bush, having an orange-brown coat with black spots, large ears, and long legs
“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


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Word History and Origins

Origin of serval1

1765–75; < New Latin < Portuguese ( lobo ) cerval lynx, literally, staglike (wolf ) < Late Latin cervālis deerlike, equivalent to Latin cerv ( us ) stag + -ālis -al 1
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Word History and Origins

Origin of serval1

C18: via French from Late Latin cervālis staglike, from Latin cervus a stag
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Example Sentences

Among them was that of a leopard, an ant bear, and a serval cat.

The Serval is a spotted cat—black upon a pale-yellowish ground—and considerably larger than the domestic species.

With a convulsive wriggle the serval made a last attempt to bury its fangs in its victim's neck.

There is the small serval of Africa, and the ocelot, all too well known to need a description.

Till one day there came a leopard and fought with the serval and killed him.

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