jaguarondi
9.9
A small wild cat with a long body and tail that lives in Central and South America
- noun
- /ˌdʒæɡwəˈroʊndi/
- US
:
jaguarundi
- The jaguarondi is often seen hunting small mammals in the dense jungles of Central America.
Examples
-
Spotting a jaguarondi at dusk, the wildlife photographer quickly snapped a picture.
-
Known for its agility, the jaguarondi can easily navigate through the trees and underbrush.
-
Fells jaguarondi.
Academic text (1992)
Synonyms
9.9
A small wild cat with a long body and tail from Central and South America
is the everyday common name rather than the Latin label
9.9
A wild cat from Central and South America with a long body, short legs, and a plain coat
is the general name focusing on long body and tail not coat details
9.9
Small wild cat with long body and tail that looks like a weasel and lives in tropical Americas
is the core species term without stressing regional range
How Big
Surface Forms
jaguarondi singular
jaguarondis plural
Etymology
Jaguarondi comes from South American languages and contains the familiar word jaguar plus a local ending like -ondi, so a helpful way to remember it is 'a jaguar-like' cat that is smaller and longer in body. That's why the name fits this long-tailed wildcat sometimes called the 'otter cat'.