ocelot

noun

oce·​lot ˈä-sə-ˌlät  ˈō- 

: a medium-sized American wildcat (Leopardus pardalis synonym Felis pardalis) that ranges from Texas to northern Argentina and has a tawny-yellow or grayish coat dotted and striped with black

Illustration of ocelot

Examples of ocelot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Large cats including lions, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, ocelots, jaguarundis, pumas, lynxes, and bobcats are banned from private ownership, according to Connecticut state statutes. —Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2026

Wood drums are often carved with Aztec symbols such as the sun or animals like owls, eagles and ocelots. —John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2026

To restore the habitat for jaguarundis and ocelots, Texans plant native shrubs in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, the Parks and Wildlife service said. —Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 26 Feb. 2026

Coats of mink, lynx, wolf, sable and ocelot covered the walls of his store, a branch of fashion house Pajaro, one of several high-end fur boutiques in town. —ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from Nahuatl ōcēlōtl jaguar

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ocelot

• aeronaut
• aforethought
• afterthought
• apricot
• argonaut
• astronaut
• camelot
• coffeepot
• concordat
• cosmonaut
• entrepot
• flowerpot

Kids Definition

ocelot

noun

oce·​lot ˈäs-ə-ˌlät  ˈō-sə- 

: a medium-sized American wildcat that is found from Texas to northern Argentina and has a tawny yellow or grayish coat marked with black