North American Animals Word Search
A free North American Animals word search you can play straight in the browser. The 12-word list draws on the habitats, species, and behaviors of an animal group, hidden across a 15×15 grid in every direction. Drag through the letters to mark a word off.
Words to find: MOOSE, DEER, BISON, PRAIRIE, WOLF, COYOTE, BOBCAT, PUMA, RACCOON, SKUNK, OPOSSUM, PORCUPINE.
Diagonals are where most players stall. Once you are down to the last word or two, sweep the diagonals deliberately.
North American Animals word list, defined
General dictionary meanings, not specific to this puzzle's theme.
- MOOSE /muːs/ · noun
- A large, long-legged, broad-bodied deer with a heavy muzzle and, in males, broad palmate antlers. The moose is native to northern and western North America and is the largest living species of deer. Related: elk, wapiti.
- DEER /dɪər/ · noun
- A hoofed grazing or browsing mammal of the family Cervidae, the males of which typically have and annually shed antlers. Related: buck, doe, stag, hind.
- BISON /ˈbaɪsən/ · noun
- A large wild bovine mammal with a massive head, shoulder hump, and shaggy coat; specifically the American bison of North America or the closely related European bison (wisent). Related: buffalo, wisent.
- PRAIRIE /ˈprɛri/ · noun
- A broad, open area of grassland, usually with few trees, especially in North America. The term can also refer more generally to an extensive treeless plain. Related: plain, steppe, grassland, savanna.
- WOLF /wʊlf/ · noun; verb
- A wolf is a large, wild member of the dog family, typically living in groups and known for its hunting ability, social behavior, and distinctive howl. As a verb, wolf means to hunt wolves or, informally, to eat food greedily or ravenously. Related: canid, beast, brute, ruffian.
- COYOTE /kaɪˈoʊti/ · noun
- A wild canine native to North America, smaller than a wolf, with grayish-brown fur and pointed ears, known for its distinctive yelping howl. It is noted for its adaptability, thriving in habitats ranging from deserts and prairies to urban areas. Related: prairie wolf, brush wolf.
- BOBCAT /ˈbɑːb.kæt/ · noun
- A small North American wild cat (Lynx rufus) with a short, stubby tail, tufted ears, and a spotted or tawny coat. It is the most widespread wild feline native to the continental United States. Related: lynx, wildcat.
- PUMA /ˈpuːmə/ · noun
- A puma is a large wild cat native to the Americas, also known as a cougar or mountain lion. It is generally slender, with a long tail and a short tawny coat. Related: cougar, mountain lion, catamount, panther.
- RACCOON /ˈræk.uːn/ · noun
- A nocturnal, omnivorous mammal of the raccoon family, native to North and Central America and introduced to parts of Europe and Asia. It is chiefly recognizable by its black facial mask and ringed tail. Related: coon.
- SKUNK /skʌŋk/ · noun; verb
- A skunk is a black-and-white mammal belonging to the weasel family, known for producing a powerful, foul-smelling secretion as a defense. As a verb, skunk means to defeat someone overwhelmingly or make them feel humiliated by a large margin. Related: polecat, stinker, malefactor, scoundrel.
- OPOSSUM /əˈpɒsəm/ (British), /əˈpɑːsəm/ (US) · noun
- Any of the marsupial mammals of the family Didelphidae, which are native to the Americas. The term most often refers to the common opossum, Didelphis virginiana, a nocturnal, omnivorous animal known for carrying its young in a pouch. Related: possum, philanderer, marsupial.
- PORCUPINE /ˈpɔːrkəpɪn/ · noun
- A large rodent covered with sharp, stiff quills that are raised as a defense when threatened. Porcupines occur in Africa, Asia, and the Americas, though the American species are very different from their Old World relatives.
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