Homotherium is an extinct genus of machairodontine saber–toothed cats. Their teeth are longer than a modern tiger, but shorter than Smilodon. Therefore, they are sometimes called "scimitar-toothed cats".
Homotherium was widespread in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa during the Pliocene and Pleistocene epochs (5 million years ago – 10,000 years ago).
It first became extinct in Africa some 1.5 million years ago. In Eurasia it survived until about 30,000 years ago. In South America it is only known from a few remains in the northern (Venezuela), in the mid-Pleistocene. The last scimitar cat could have survived in North America until 10,000 years ago.