mongoose

American  

[mong-goos, mon-] / ˈmɒŋˌgus, ˈmɒn- /

noun

plural

mongooses

1. a slender, ferretlike carnivore, Herpestes edwardsi, of India, that feeds on rodents, birds, and eggs, noted especially for its ability to kill cobras and other venomous snakes.

2. any of several other animals of this genus or related genera.

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mongoose British  

/ ˈmɒŋˌɡuːs /

noun

1. any small predatory viverrine mammal of the genus Herpestes and related genera, occurring in Africa and from S Europe to SE Asia, typically having a long tail and brindled coat

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Usage

Plural word for mongoose The plural form of mongoose is mongooses (not mongeese). The plurals of some other singular words that end in -oose are also formed this way, including caboose/cabooses and papoose/papooses. The plural mongooses is confusing because the plural of goose is the irregular form geese, which derives directly from its original pluralization in Old English. However, the term mongoose only uses the standard English plural -s ending.

Etymology

Origin of mongoose

1690–1700; < Marathi mangūs, variant of muṅgūs

Example Sentences

The work was conducted as part of the Dwarf Mongoose Research Project, which has studied habituated wild groups continuously since 2011.

From Science Daily • Nov. 14, 2023

Some of the documents — including one about Operation Mongoose, a covert government campaign to rid Cuba of Fidel Castro — included redactions.

From New York Times • Dec. 15, 2022

In the movie, Balram learns the Mongoose and Ashok are planning to pay off government ministers and that the Mongoose seems to want Ashok to hire a new driver to replace Balram.

From Slate • Jan. 22, 2021

The first joke he ever told onstage was about when he asked for a car and his mom said he could have a Mongoose.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 10, 2020

Bill Harvey, now home after nearly a decade in Berlin, was assigned to lead Operation Mongoose.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau