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 dog was in the cougar’s jaws as the neighbor fired and didn’t survive the attack, a California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesperson told McClatchy News in a phone interview Tuesday, Jan. 14. —Brooke Baitinger, Sacramento Bee, 15 Jan. 2025

Inside, the girl’s mother frantically yells through the glass panes to scare the cougar away, but to no avail. —Chris Dorsey, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024

As far as rom-coms go, 2024’s the year of the cougar. —Mariam Rahmani, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024

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

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