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Glite Dictionary
caracal

caracal

1 9.9
A medium-sized wild cat with long ear tufts that lives in dry parts of Africa and Asia
  • noun
  • /ˈkɛrəkəl/
translation icon : caracal
  • In the deserts of northern Africa, the caracal uses its keen hearing to locate prey.

Examples

  • Serval (Felis leptailurus, rare), Caracal (Felis lynx caracal, rare).

    Academic text (2006)

  • The caracal is known for its distinctive ear tufts and hunting skills in arid environments.

  • Serval (Felis leptailurus, rare), Caracal (Felis lynx caracal, rare).

    Academic text (2006)

  • "Another advertisement from a breeder in Oregon offers a "Barbary lion and caracal kittens;" a third, in California, is selling a "rare Asian leopard cat female, nine weeks old, bottle raised."

    Academic text (2008)

  • Zoologists have observed that the caracal can jump to catch birds in mid-air.

Synonyms

desert lynx
vscaracal
8.4

A wild cat with long tufts of hair on its ears that lives in hot, dry deserts

has identical meaning but is the standard species name
lynx caracal
vscaracal
  • Indian
9.8

A wild cat with long black hairs on its ears that lives in deserts in northern Africa and southern Asia

has identical meaning but is an alternative name for the species

Compounds

lynx caracal
  • Indian
9.8

A wild cat with long black hairs on its ears that lives in deserts in northern Africa and southern Asia

Surface Forms

caracal singular
caracals plural

Etymology

The word caracal comes from Turkish words kara 'black' and kulak 'ear', so it literally means 'black ear'. This is easy to remember because the cat has dark tufts on the tips of its ears.