ocelot

noun

oce·lot | \ ˈä-sə-ˌlät

Definition of ocelot

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

Examples of ocelot in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Mashpi Lodge, Ecuador Immerse yourself in Ecuador’s cloud forest—home to endemic amphibians, ocelots, and more than 500 species of birds—at this high-design, three-story, glass-and-steel lodge. — Paul Rubio, Condé Nast Traveler, "The 8 Best Experiential Eco-Lodges in South America," 19 Jan. 2018 In reality, however, the ocelot’s fight for survival is far more complicated. — Jeremy Schwartz, ajc, "Trump's border wall threatens endangered Texas ocelot," 31 Mar. 2018 Development has also wiped out natural habitat there, and years of cartel violence have hobbled research into Mexican ocelot populations just south of the Rio Grande. — Jeremy Schwartz, ajc, "Trump's border wall threatens endangered Texas ocelot," 31 Mar. 2018 But the refuge is 2,000 acres of protected federal land home to nearly 200 species, including some that are endangered, like the ocelot. — Vanessa Yurkevich And Tal Kopan, CNN, "Congress moves to block border wall in key wildlife refuge," 22 Mar. 2018 Smaller wildcats in captivity, such as servals or ocelots, are often fed a domestic cat-like diet, while big cats such as jaguars and leopards get meat and animal carcasses. — National Geographic, "Do Big Cats Get Hairballs?," 17 Mar. 2018 Some of the wetland wildlife includes waterfowl, river otters, gators, turtles, snakes, ocelots, foxes, frogs and many other things. — Daniela Sternitzky-di Napoli, Houston Chronicle, "The Houston Zoo is under construction for new exhibit," 26 Jan. 2018 Long, squat, flat-faced jaguarundis have a uniform coat, while small, agile ocelots sport striking coat patterns. — National Geographic, "Striking Pictures of Mexico's Wildlife for Cinco de Mayo," 6 May 2017 And at the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge south of the easement, camera traps revealed three more mother ocelots with healthy kittens. — National Geographic, "Rare Ocelot Kittens Caught on Camera," 28 Dec. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ocelot.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.