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Glite Dictionary
genus Felis

genus Felis

7.9
A group of cats that includes the domestic cat and some wildcats
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒiːnəs ˈfɛlɪs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : género Felis
  • The African wildcat is one of the best-known members of the genus Felis.

Examples

  • The genus Felis includes both domestic and wild cats.

  • Scientists debate how many species should be classified under the genus Felis.

  • The domestic cat belongs to the genus Felis along with several wildcat species.

  • Did you know that the genus Felis is part of the Felidae family?

  • The genus Felis includes various species such as the domestic cat and the wildcat.

  • Cats like lions and tigers belong to the family Felidae, specifically within the genus Felis.

  • Scientists study the genus Felis to understand the evolution of true cats.

Synonyms

Felis
vsgenus Felis
  • Specialized
1 9.0

A group of small cats that includes the domestic cat and many wildcats

has the same meaning but uses the formal Latin scientific label

Surface Forms

genus Felis singular
genera Felis plural

Morphology

genus + Felis

The phrase is compositionally built from 'genus' (a biological rank) and 'Felis' (the proper name of a genus of cats), so it straightforwardly denotes the taxonomic group called Felis. This follows standard scientific naming conventions that are cross-linguistically regular, meaning a B1 learner who knows both constituents would understand the meaning.

Etymology

Genus Felis comes from Latin: genus means 'group' and Felis means 'cat', so you can picture a family or group of cats. That's why the name is used for the group of true cats, including the domestic cat.