serval

[ sur-vuh l ]
/ ˈsɜr vəl /

noun, plural ser·vals, (especially collectively) ser·val.

a long-limbed, nocturnal African cat, Felis serval, about the size of a bobcat, having a tawny coat spotted with black: now rare in many former habitats.

Origin of serval

1765–75; < New Latin < Portuguese ( lobo) cerval lynx, literally, staglike (wolf) < Late Latin cervālis deerlike, equivalent to Latin cerv(us) stag + -ālis -al1

Words nearby serval

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Example sentences from the Web for serval

British Dictionary definitions for serval

serval
/ (ˈsɜːvəl) /

noun plural -vals or -val

a slender feline mammal, Felis serval, of the African bush, having an orange-brown coat with black spots, large ears, and long legs

Word Origin for serval

C18: via French from Late Latin cervālis staglike, from Latin cervus a stag