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

Similar scenarios are playing out across the Southwest, where the 1,954-mile border cuts through the habitat of more than 80 threatened and endangered species — from ocelots in Texas to Mexican gray wolves in New Mexico and Arizona, according to the Sierra Club. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 1 Feb. 2026

This stretch of green sustains birds, frogs, snakes and ocelots. —Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 1 Dec. 2025

The parks are also home to tapirs, giant anteaters, howler monkeys, ocelots, and jaguars. —Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025

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

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