felis

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

Felis
    n 1: type genus of the Felidae: true cats and most wildcats
         [syn: {Felis}, {genus Felis}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Felis \Fe"lis\ (f[=e]"l[i^]s), prop. n. [L., cat.] (Zool.)
   A genus of mostly small carnivorous mammals, including the
   domestic cat, puma, ocelot, and margay, which share the
   inability to roar due to bone structure in the larynx. The
   lion, tiger, and other large roaring cats were once included
   in {Felis} but are now assigned to the genus {Panthera}. The
   lynx ({Felis lynx}) is also called {Lynx lynx}.
   [1913 Webster +PJC]