ocelot
UK[ˈɒsəlɒt]US[ˈoʊsəˌlɑːt]
n
A medium-sized wild cat with a yellowish coat marked with black stripes and spots, found in Central and South America.
Etymology
The word 'ocelot' is a direct loan from the Nahuatl language of the Aztec civilization, where 'ocelotl' referred to a jaguar. Spanish explorers adopted the term in the form 'ocelote' to describe the smaller, spotted felid they encountered in the Americas. English borrowed the word from French in the late 18th century, retaining its original form and applying it specifically to the distinct species of wild cat known for its beautiful dappled coat. This journey from an indigenous American language into global English vocabulary exemplifies the cultural and biological exchange following the European colonization of the New World.
Analysis
The word 'ocelot' is a simplex loanword. It entered English as a single, unanalyzable unit from French, which borrowed it from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word 'ocelotl', meaning 'jaguar'.
Examples
The ocelot is a nocturnal predator that hunts small mammals and birds in the rainforest.
Conservation efforts are crucial to protect the ocelot's shrinking habitat from deforestation.
With its distinctive spotted fur, the ocelot is sometimes mistaken for a small leopard.