margay

[ mahr-gey ]

noun

1. a small tiger cat, Felis tigrina, of tropical America: now rare.

margay

/ ˈmɑːˌɡeɪ /

noun

1. a feline mammal, Felis wiedi, of Central and South America, having a dark-striped coat

Word History and Origins

Origin of margay¹

1775–85; < French (Buffon), alteration of margaia < Portuguese maracajá < Tupi marakaya

Word History and Origins

Origin of margay¹

C18: from French, from Tupi mbaracaiá

Example Sentences

Rusby Contreras-Díaz was scrolling through a biodiversity database, looking at places where people had spotted margays and jaguars, when she noticed something odd: Every location had an uncertainty of 30 kilometers.

From Science Magazine

Scientists are trying to learn more about the diverse and unique environment, where jaguars and margays roam the savanna and jungles, and river dolphins swim in the Guayabero River.

From Seattle Times

Scientists are trying to learn more about the diverse and unique environment, where jaguars and margays roam the savannah and jungles, and river dolphins swim in the Guayabero River.

From New York Times

The predatory lineup includes the jaguar, the mountain lion, the ocelot, the Canada lynx and the margay, as well as domesticated cats like the Siamese and the Sphynx.

From New York Times

An entire row of shelves 50 feet long and 10 feet high is dedicated to the hides and mounted heads of big cats—cheetahs, tigers, jaguars, margays, ocelots, leopards.

From National Geographic