noun
cougar
KOO-gur/ˈkuːɡər/
A large tawny wild cat of the Americas.
A tawny cougar stands on a rocky ledge, its long tail visible.
Etymology
French couguar named the same American cat. Its earlier ancestry is uncertain: one proposal connects it with Tupi words meaning “deer” and “false,” while another points to Guarani.
In context
Cougar, mountain line, catamount, puma con color. This is the big cat of many names.
More examples
- Cougars often hunt deer.
- The ranger identifies cougar tracks in the mud.
- A young cougar follows its mother through the forest.
Forms
cougar · cougars
Similar words
- puma
- Names the same species, rather than a different wild cat.
- mountain lion
- Common American name for the same animal, not a true lion.