bobcat

1 of 2

noun

bob·​cat ˈbäb-ˌkat How to pronounce bobcat (audio)
: a common North American lynx (Lynx rufus) reddish in base color with dark markings

Illustration of bobcat

Illustration of bobcat

Bobcat

2 of 2

trademark

used for a small 4-wheeled or tracklaying work vehicle (as for excavating or for lifting and moving loads)

Examples of bobcat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Today, its inhabitants are animals, including mountain lions, black bears, bobcats, peregrine falcons and western rattlesnakes. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Dec. 2024 Related Articles Proposition 127 would ban mountain lion and bobcat hunting in Colorado. Elise Schmelzer, The Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2024 Moyer, Randall and Cowan planned to participate in the West Texas Big Bobcat Contest the following weekend where the first-place prize money for biggest bobcat has topped $45,000. Britta Lokting, Rolling Stone, 13 Oct. 2024 Instead, the needles were created from the bones of red foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, lynx, the now-extinct American cheetah, and hares or rabbits, the study found. Katie Hunt, CNN, 4 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bobcat 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

bob entry 4; from the stubby tail

First Known Use

Noun

1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bobcat was in 1859

Dictionary Entries Near bobcat

Cite this Entry

“Bobcat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bobcat. Accessed 27 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

bobcat

noun
bob·​cat ˈbäb-ˌkat How to pronounce bobcat (audio)
: a common usually rusty-colored North American lynx with dark spots

More from Merriam-Webster on bobcat

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