ˈfēləˌdē noun plural
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: New Latin, from Felis, type genus + -idae
: a cosmopolitan family comprising lithe-bodied digitigrade carnivorous mammals having soft and often strikingly patterned fur, comparatively short limbs with soft pads on the feet, usually sharp curved retractile claws, a broad and somewhat rounded head with short but powerful jaws equipped with teeth suited to grasping, tearing, and shearing through flesh, erect ears, and typically eyes with narrow or elliptical pupils and especially adapted for seeing in dim light and including the true cats (as the lion, tiger, jaguar, leopard, or cougar), the cheetah, and extinct related forms