big cat
12
2.8
- noun
- /bɪɡ kæt/
:
gran felino
- Conservationists are working hard to protect endangered big cats from poaching.
- big cat—tiger
What has to Because big cats and little cats are what's called stimulation ovulators.
- What has to Because big cats and little cats are what's called stimulation ovulators.
- I think I say, we say Jake ordered an exotic big cat, a cheetah, and it escaped while in his possession.
- WIRED has challenged me to take what I have learned about photographing big cats in the wild to photographing a domestic cat.
- It's in Pretoria, that area and they have rescued big cats, lions, they even have tigers that they've rescued that were somehow being trafficked in Africa.
- And that includes love for big cats, light love and Mojo.
- But hey, all you cool cats and kittens, it's Carol Baskin from Big Cat Rescue.
- While this doesn't hold true for all Dragons, most Dragons show characteristics related to big cats, birds of prey, and snakes.
- So we had a lot of animals growing up, big cats, big cats, wolves, bears, all kinds of yeah, stuff.
Examples
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Huge white fangs curved down from beneath the big cat's eyes.
Fiction book (2000) -
For her, the big cat lying there on the floor was really in great pain.
Fiction book (1991) -
I, too, have a fear of big cats.
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Never run from a big cat, Lawrence.
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Since he was six years old, he's been working to protect the big cats from extinction.
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The big cats have largely been eradicated outside the national parks and game reserves.
Academic text (2009) -
If you're calm, that wondrous big cat will be calm too.
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Katya watched in astonishment as the big cat continued to bite down on the Grand Duke, making sure he never got up.
Fiction book (2001) -
At the wildlife reserve, visitors can see various big cats, including lions and tigers.
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The documentary showcased the lives of big cats in their natural habitats.
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A small, furry pet or a large wild animal like a lion
How Big
12
2.8
49
3.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'big' (large) modifying 'cat' yields 'large cat', which naturally refers to large felines such as lions or tigers. This adjective + noun pattern is transparent and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Big cat comes from the simple image of a big wild cat, an animal much larger and more powerful than a house pet, like a lion or tiger. That's why it means 'any large wild cat'.