Chinese mountain cat

noun

variants or Chinese desert cat

: a small, yellowish-gray to brown wildcat (Felis bieti) that has indistinct dark rings or horizontal stripes on the legs and tail and is typically found in mountainous regions of western and central China

Researchers working in central China have photographed one of the world's most poorly studied mammals, the Chinese mountain cat.—

Science, 31 Aug. 2007

The Chinese desert cat does not live in deserts, but in scrubby woodlands, even forests.—

Norman Myers, International Wildlife, November/December 1984

Word History

First Known Use

1984, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of Chinese mountain cat was in 1984

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Chinese mountain cat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Chinese%20mountain%20cat. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation