cacomistle

[ kak-uh-mis-uh l ]
/ ˈkæk əˌmɪs əl /

noun

Also cac·o·mix·le [kak-uh-mis-uh l, -mik-suh l] /ˈkæk əˌmɪs əl, -ˌmɪk səl/. Also called bassarisk, ringtail, coon cat. a carnivorous animal, Bassariscus astutus, of Mexico and the southwestern U.S., related to the raccoon but smaller, with a sharper snout and longer tail.
civet cat.

Origin of cacomistle

1865–70, Americanism; < Mexican Spanish cacomiztle, cacomixtle < Nahuatl tlahcomiztli, equivalent to tlahco- half, middle + miztli cougar

Words nearby cacomistle

cacogenics, cacogeusia, cacography, cacology, cacomelia, cacomistle, caconym, cacophonous, cacophony, cacosmia, cacoëthes

Example sentences from the Web for cacomistle

  • Sometimes a stuffed recamúchi (cacomistle, bassariscus) is used either in the place of a straw-man or in addition to it.

    Unknown Mexico, Volume 1 (of 2) |Carl Lumholtz

British Dictionary definitions for cacomistle

cacomistle

cacomixle (ˈkækəˌmɪksəl)

/ (ˈkækəˌmɪsəl) /

noun

a catlike omnivorous mammal, Bassariscus astutus, of S North America, related to but smaller than the raccoons: family Procyonidae, order Carnivora (carnivores). It has yellowish-grey fur and a long bushy tail banded in black and white
a related smaller animal, Jentinkia (or Bassariscus) sumichrasti, of Central America

Word Origin for cacomistle

C19: from Mexican Spanish, from Nahuatl tlacomiztli, from tlaco half + miztli cougar