Felis

American  

[fee-lis] / ˈfi lɪs /

noun

1. a genus of mostly small cats, including the domestic cat, margay, puma, and ocelot, sharing with certain cats of related genera an inability to roar due to ossification of the hyoid bone in the larynx.

---

Etymology

Origin of Felis

< New Latin (Linnaeus); Latin fēlis, fēlēs any of several small carnivores, including the wild cat

Example Sentences

Will Felis catus, the domestic cat, spawn an equally rich evolutionary lineage?

From Slate • Oct. 23, 2023

But first, they were wild, most likely descended from Felis lybica, the African wildcat.

From Salon • Dec. 14, 2022

Today, we mourn publicly when even one Felis concolor is killed by human hands or, as happens far more often, by tires.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 26, 2022

Giant Food spokeswoman Felis Andrade said when the retailer booked the clinic with the community weeks earlier, only the Pfizer booster was approved, which the pharmacy agreed to provide.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 23, 2021

The lab report came back that it was indeed the scat of Felis concolor, the eastern mountain lion, also variously and respectfully known as the panther, cougar, puma, and, especially in New England, catamount.

From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson