felid

noun

fe·​lid ˈfē-ləd How to pronounce felid (audio)
felid adjective

Examples of felid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Many species of local wildlife are within the canid and felid family groups. Julia Wuerz, The Conversation, 6 Feb. 2024 The researchers first estimated just how much meat and fat would have been left on a typical carcass left behind by two species of big cats, and how often the felids would hunt. Brian Handwerk, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Sep. 2023 New sequences were generated for 39 single-copy regions of the felid Y chromosome, as well as four mitochondrial and four autosomal gene segments, totaling 28.7 kb. Razib Khan, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2010 Canids, like dogs and wolves, seem to be more resistant to its ill effects than felids, like cougars (also called mountain lions and pumas), bobcats, and Canada lynx. National Geographic, 3 Apr. 2020 Even though the study has implications for larger, famous felids, the inspiration for the research came from a smaller cat. Riley Black, Smithsonian, 18 Dec. 2019 Bovids, equids and, in particular, canids, were put to work by H. sapiens; felids always took a slightly different view of the matter, but were indulged for their rodent-catching talents. The Economist, 22 June 2019 The only felid in Hawai`i are house cats, tame and feral, found in homes and yards and boat harbors and beach parks and deep in the backs of valleys and high on the summit of mountaintops and basically everywhere. Kim Steutermann Rogers, Smithsonian, 9 July 2018 But not even Dubey knows the answer to why only felids seem to be primary hosts. Kim Steutermann Rogers, Smithsonian, 9 July 2018

Word History

Etymology

New Latin Felidae, family name, from Felis, genus of cats, from Latin, cat

First Known Use

circa 1889, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of felid was circa 1889

Dictionary Entries Near felid

Cite this Entry

“Felid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/felid. Accessed 9 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!