cougar

noun

cou·​gar ˈkü-gər 

 also  -ˌgär

plural cougars also cougar

1

: a large powerful tawny-brown cat (Puma concolor synonym Felis concolor) formerly widespread in the Americas but now reduced in number or extinct in many areas

called also catamount, mountain lion, panther, puma

2

slang : a middle-aged woman seeking a romantic relationship with a younger man

Illustration of cougar

• cougar 1

Synonyms

• catamount
• cat-a-mountain
• mountain lion
• panther
• puma

Examples of cougar in a Sentence

in many regions, suburban developments have encroached upon the habitat of the cougar

Recent Examples on the Web

The department is working with a United States Department of Agriculture trapper to find the cougars and haze them away from the area, which usually involves hounds sniffing out the cougar’s location, the spokesperson said. —Brooke Baitinger, Sacramento Bee, 15 Jan. 2025

The sanctuary lost one Bengal tiger, four cougars, one African caracal, two Canada lynx, one Geoffroy cat, one Bengal cat, one Eurasian lynx, four bobcats and five African servals. —Katherine Hignett, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024

The sanctuary's 17 surviving animals — cougars, bobcats, servals, and tigers — remain under close observation. —Rebecca Rosman, NPR, 26 Dec. 2024

There's no evidence the disease is spreading directly between cougars, but the deaths of two unrelated animals in the same area within a short time raises concerns about how widespread the virus may already be. —Andy Biggs, Newsweek, 24 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French couguar, modification of New Latin cuguacuarana, from Tupi sɨwasuarána, from sɨwásu deer + -ran resembling

First Known Use

1774, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

cougar

noun

cou·​gar ˈkü-gər 

 also  -ˌgär

plural cougars also cougar

: a large powerful brownish yellow cat formerly widespread in the Americas but no longer found in many areas

called also catamount, mountain lion, panther, puma