Ocelot
/ˈɒs.ə.lɒt/noun
A medium-sized spotted wild cat native to the Americas.
Did you know?The English word was borrowed through Spanish from Nahuatl, where the cat’s name was tied to the powerful jaguar world of Mesoamerican symbolism rather than any European myth.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Nahuan / Nahuatl
Nahuatl
ōcēlōtl
“jaguar; wild cat”
16th Century
Spanish
ocelote
“the American spotted cat”
17th Century
French
ocelot
“the American spotted cat”
18th Century
English
ocelot
“the American spotted cat”