ocelot

Thân thiện

A spotted ocelot rests on a tree branch in the moonlight.

Definition

Noun 1. A medium-sized wild cat (Leopardus pardalis) native to Central and South America, characterized by a tawny or buff-brown coat marked with elongated, dark-edged spots and stripes forming a chain-like pattern. It is primarily nocturnal and solitary.

Examples of Usage

• The ocelot is an excellent climber and swimmer.
• We were fortunate to spot an ocelot hunting at dusk in the rainforest.
• The zoo's new exhibit features a pair of ocelots.
• Its beautiful fur made the ocelot a target for hunters in the past.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used attributively (like an adjective) to describe things resembling or related to the animal.
  • The pattern on her dress was an ocelot print.
  • He studied ocelot behavior for his doctoral thesis.

Variants and Related Words

• No direct variants: The word "ocelot" is typically used for the animal itself. The term ocelot kitten or ocelot cub refers to its young.
• Related Zoological Terms: (member of the cat family), , .

Synonyms

• Painted leopard: (A less common, descriptive name based on its appearance).
• Note: While similar in appearance, the margay and the oncilla are distinct, smaller wild cat species and are not true synonyms for "ocelot."

Idioms and Fixed Phrases

• There are no common idioms or phrasal verbs specifically using the word "ocelot."

Học thuật

Noun

1. nocturnal wildcat of Central America and South America having a dark-spotted buff-brown coat

Từ đồng nghĩa

• panther cat
• Felis pardalis