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Glite Dictionary
European wildcat

European wildcat

6.5
A wild cat that lives in European forests and has a bushy tail
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : gato montés europeo
  • The European wildcat roams the forests of Europe, often hiding from sight among the underbrush.

Examples

  • Many people do not realize that the European wildcat is the ancestor of our domestic cats.

  • Researchers are studying the European wildcat to better understand its genetics and behavior.

  • Should feral domesticated cats be allowed to mate with threatened European wildcats until the latter can no longer be distinguished from the domesticates (Lecis et al. 2006)?

    Academic text (2010)

Synonyms

wildcat
vsEuropean wildcat
49 3.0

A small or medium wild animal like a cat that lives in forests and open fields

is the specific native species with bushy tail and ancestor status
Felis silvestris
vsEuropean wildcat
  • Specialized
8.9

A wild cat with a bushy tail that lives in European forests and that domestic cats come from

is the common name rather than the scientific name
catamountain
vsEuropean wildcat
  • Archaic
9.9

A wild cat found in Europe with thick bushy fur and a tail that looks like a large house cat

is the modern common term rather than that older name

Surface Forms

European wildcat singular
European wildcats plural

Morphology

European + wildcat

The meaning 'a wildcat native to Europe' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'European' (related to Europe) with 'wildcat' (a feline living in the wild). This is a straightforward adjective + noun composition common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily understand the MWE.

Etymology

European wildcat is the name for a 'wild' cat from Europe. Imagine a shy cat with a thick, bushy tail living in the forest that looks like a house cat but is untamed. That picture explains why it is called European and wildcat, and why people think it is the 'ancestor' of the domestic cat.