leopard cat
noun
: a small spotted wildcat (Prionailurus bengalensis synonym Felis bengalensis) chiefly of southeastern Asia
Examples of leopard cat in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
People benefited from the wild felines’ mouse-catching skills, while the cats had a ready supply of rodents to eat — but there was likely never any deliberate control over the leopard cat population.
—
Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025
The late arrival of domestic cats in China via the Silk Road after 3,500 years of human-leopard cat commensalism.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Take a look at some recent stories from the continent:
Predator’s adorable kittens found abandoned in Thailand — then came rescue
In southwestern Thailand, three leopard cat kittens were found abandoned and weak, prompting a rescue by wildlife officials.
—Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 27 May 2025
There are fishing cats, leopard cats, saltwater crocodiles and rare river dolphins, all seen best from a boat.
—Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Chinese farmers might have recognized that the leopard cats were good rat-killers and began feeding them.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Mar. 2025
The first three all originate in the Far East, while Bengals are a hydroid cross between cats and Asian leopard cats.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 4 Sep. 2024
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Katie Hunt, CNN Money, 28 Nov. 2025
The late arrival of domestic cats in China via the Silk Road after 3,500 years of human-leopard cat commensalism.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025
Take a look at some recent stories from the continent:
Predator’s adorable kittens found abandoned in Thailand — then came rescue
In southwestern Thailand, three leopard cat kittens were found abandoned and weak, prompting a rescue by wildlife officials.
—Real-Time News Team, Miami Herald, 27 May 2025
There are fishing cats, leopard cats, saltwater crocodiles and rare river dolphins, all seen best from a boat.
—Emese MacZko, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
Chinese farmers might have recognized that the leopard cats were good rat-killers and began feeding them.
—Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Mar. 2025
The first three all originate in the Far East, while Bengals are a hydroid cross between cats and Asian leopard cats.
—Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 4 Sep. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Leopard cat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leopard%20cat. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
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