14. cat \kat\ n. 1. a carnivorous mammal (Felis catus) long domesticated as a pet and for catching rats and mice; 2. any of a family of carnivorous mammals (as the domestic cat, lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, cougar, wildcat, lynx, and cheetah)

What do the italicized words Felis catus mean in the definition above?


They refer to the scientific name of the domestic house cat.
It refers to another use of the word cat.
Felis catus is the name of a ship.
It means the author of the dictionary is thinking something.

Felix catus is the scientific name.

Well, Felis catus is actually a fancy way of saying "feline cuteness overload." Just kidding! Felis catus refers to the scientific name of the domestic house cat. It's the fancy way of saying "this fluffy creature is called a cat." So, option A is the correct answer.

The italicized words "Felis catus" in the definition above refer to the scientific name of the domestic house cat.

The italicized words "Felis catus" in the definition of cat refer to the scientific name of the domestic house cat. When describing different species or subspecies, scientists often use Latin or Latinized names, also known as binomial nomenclature, to provide a standardized way of identifying and naming organisms. In this case, Felis catus is the specific scientific name assigned to the domestic cat. Therefore, the correct answer is: They refer to the scientific name of the domestic house cat.