Felid

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈfiːlɪd/

Definitions

1. A creature that belongs to the family of carnivorous mammals typically characterized by retractable claws and agile bodies can be referred to as this type of animal
2. An animal categorized under the taxonomic family that includes both domestic and wild cat species, known for their hunting ability and social behaviors, represents this classification
3. A member of the biological family containing both large and small cats, distinguished by their sharp retractile claws and keen predatory skills, is classified under this term

Etymology: "Felid" is a scientific coinage: it is the name of the biological family Felidae, which contains all the cats, from lions and tigers to domestic house cats. The family name was built from the Latin "felis", meaning cat, with the ending that taxonomists add to family names. Over time, the family name was shortened by dropping its final "-ae" to give a singular noun that can refer to any single member of the group. The word therefore works as a back-formation, a term created by removing a supposed ending from an existing word. Its structure, however, is also understood as "feline" plus the "-id" element found in many family names, such as "canid" for the dog family. Both analyses explain the shape of the word, though the second is simpler to remember. Because it names a taxonomic family rather than an everyday animal, the word belongs mainly to zoology and biology texts.

Synonyms: cat, feline, big cat, lion, tiger