serval

noun

ser·​val ˈsər-vəl How to pronounce serval (audio)
(ˌ)sər-ˈval
: a long-legged African wildcat (Leptailurus serval) having large ears and a tawny black-spotted coat

Illustration of serval

Illustration of serval

Examples of serval in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The 40-acre facility has among its list of roughly 1,600 critters, penguins, binturongs, sharks, dingoes, Flemish giant rabbits, servals, tree frogs, capuchin monkeys, moon jellyfish, pythons and orangutans. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 23 July 2024 After earning a degree in exotic animal training and management from Moorpark College, she's worked with big cats: bobcats, servals, lions and tigers. Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 31 Mar. 2024 According to the team, the positive results of their tests — which involved an assembly of tigers, lions, leopards, lynxes, cougars, cheetahs, and servals, among others — indicate that vocal recognition is not a skill dependent on domestication. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 15 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for serval 

Word History

Etymology

French, from Portuguese lobo cerval lynx, from Medieval Latin lupus cervalis, literally, deerlike wolf

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of serval was in 1834

Dictionary Entries Near serval

Cite this Entry

“Serval.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/serval. Accessed 14 Nov. 2024.

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