n pl :  a cosmopolitan family comprising lithe-bodied carnivorous mammals (as the lion, lynx, and cheetah) having often strikingly patterned fur, comparatively short limbs with soft pads on the feet, usu. 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 esp. adapted for seeing in dim light .
 
 
 
Similar sounding terms:  fall·out  fel·late  felt  field 
 
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