tiger cat

noun

1. any of several felines, as the ocelot or margay, that resemble the tiger in coloration or ferocity but are smaller.

2. a spotted marsupial cat, Dasyurus (Dasyurops ) maculatus.

3. a domestic cat having a striped coat resembling that of a tiger.

tiger cat

noun

1. a medium-sized feline mammal, Felis tigrina, of Central and South America, having a dark-striped coat

2. any similar feline with tiger-like markings, such as the margay

Word History and Origins

Origin of tiger cat¹

First recorded in 1690–1700

Example Sentences

The watchful beggar tenderly holding an alert gray tiger cat in his lap has been bestowed with an attribute of clever endurance.

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The guiña is known variously as the little tiger cat, little spotted cat or Chilean cat.

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Buster is what is commonly called a “tiger cat,” meaning only that he has stripes.

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Right in the middle of the bed, curled up like a cushion, was a tiger cat with a white bib.

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This oncilla, otherwise known as a little spotted cat or tiger cat, gazes from the bars of a cage after being rescued from poachers in Peru in 2009.

Read more on National Geographic