Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
miner's cat

miner's cat

9.9
A small animal like a raccoon with a long tail with black and white rings
  • noun
  • /ˈmaɪnərz kæt/
  • US
translation icon : gato minero
  • In the southwestern United States, the miner's cat is known for its striking black and white ringed tail.

Examples

  • Locals explained that the miner's cat helps control rodent populations around cabins.

  • Old mining towns often had a resident miner's cat searching for scraps near the kitchens.

  • The miner's cat is agile and skilled at climbing rocks and trees.

  • The miner’s cat is often found in rocky areas.

  • Have you ever seen a miner’s cat in the wild?

  • Locals often spot a miner's cat rummaging through old mining towns in search of food.

  • The miner's cat is a skilled climber, often seen navigating through trees and rocky terrain.

Synonyms

ringtail
vsminer's cat
  • US
8.1

A small North American mammal like a raccoon with a long bushy tail with black and white rings

is an alternative name used for the same mammal
ring-tailed cat
vsminer's cat
  • US
8.5

An animal like a raccoon that has a long bushy tail with black and white rings

is another name variant for that identical mammal
bassarisk
vsminer's cat
  • US
9.9

A small mammal like a raccoon with a long bushy tail ringed black and white

is a different familiar name for the identical creature
Bassariscus astutus
vsminer's cat
  • Specialized
9.9

A small animal like a raccoon with a long bushy tail with black and white rings

is the everyday common name rather than that formal term
civet cat
vsminer's cat
  • US
8.1

A raccoon-like animal from Mexico and southwestern US with a long bushy tail with black-and-white rings

is the other common name referring to the same animal
cacomixle
vsminer's cat
  • US
9.9

A small mammal like a raccoon with a long ringed tail that climbs trees and is active at night

is another common label for that identical mammal species
cacomistle
vsminer's cat
  • US
9.9

A small animal like a raccoon that lives in trees and has a long ringed tail

is the species name used rather than the broader family description
raccoon fox
vsminer's cat
  • US
9.9

A small wild fox from Mexico and the US with a long bushy tail with black and white rings

is an alternative common name for that same mammal variant

Surface Forms

miner’s cat singular
miner’s cats plural

Morphology

miner's + cat

Although built from the transparent words 'miner' and 'cat', the phrase refers to a specific species (a ringtail) that is not a true cat, so its intended zoological meaning is not inferable from the constituents. A B1 learner who knows 'miner' and 'cat' would most likely interpret it as 'a cat belonging to a miner' rather than a raccoon-like mammal, making the expression non-compositional for learners.

Etymology

The name miner's cat may come from old mining towns where miners kept the animal near their cabins to catch mice and rats. The creature looks like a small raccoon with a long ringed tail called a 'ringtail', but people called it a cat because it lived near homes and hunted rodents, so the name stuck.