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

One of the field cameras had captured the image of an endangered ocelot, the first record of the elusive feline in the region in over 50 years. —John Leos, AZCentral.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Yes, the zoo has red pandas, an ocelot and a troop of Francois Langur monkeys at the Mesker Park Zoo's Discovery Center. —Katie Wiseman, IndyStar, 10 July 2025

Her husband was dressed in an all-black suit with an ocelot stole on his shoulder. —Kayla Grant, People.com, 2 July 2025

The company's Starbase launch facility in south Texas abuts the Boca Chica Wildlife Refuge, an expanse of tidal flats, mangroves and sand dunes that is home to rare and endangered species including ocelots, sea turtles and northern aplomado falcons. —Arkansas Online, 29 June 2025

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