bobcat

UK: /ˈbɒbkæt/ US: /ˈbɑbˌkæt/ ,(bob′kat′)

Inflections of 'bobcat' (n):

bobcats

npl (All usages)

bobcat

npl (Can be used as a collective plural—e.g. "Bobcat hunt small mammals.")

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

bob•cat /ˈbɑbˌkæt/   n. [countable] , pl. -cats, (esp. when thought of as a group) -cat. 

1. Mammals a North American lynx.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

bob•cat  (bob′kat′), n., pl. -cats, (esp. collectively) -cat. 

1. Mammals a North American wildcat, Lynx rufus, ranging from southern Canada to central Mexico, having a brownish coat with black spots. Also called bay lynx. 

• bob(tail) + cat¹ 1885–90, American.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

bobcat / ˈbɒbˌkæt/ noun

1. a North American feline mammal, Lynx rufus, closely related to but smaller than the lynx, having reddish-brown fur with dark spots or stripes, tufted ears, and a short tail

Etymology: 19th Century: from bob² (referring to its short tail) + cat¹