catamount
[kat-uh-mount]
- a wild animal of the cat family, especially the cougar or the lynx.
- catamountain.
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Origin of catamount
First recorded in 1655–65; short for catamountain
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for catamount
Historical Examples of catamount
Which I ain't in the habit of bein' took lightly by no catamount.
Faro Nell and Her FriendsAlfred Henry Lewis
Probably her mother who probably too was the catamount's sister.
The Paliser caseEdgar Saltus
A catamount,” replied Jerry, “or Indian Devil, as some call them.
The Camp in the SnowWilliam Murray Graydon
It was as large a catamount as the two Maine lads had ever seen.
The Camp in the SnowWilliam Murray Graydon
I can kill a catamount as easy as a deer if I get the chance.
The Camp in the SnowWilliam Murray Graydon
catamount
catamountain
- any of various medium-sized felines, such as the puma or lynx
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Word Origin for catamount
C17: short for cat of the mountain
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for catamount
1660s, shortening of cat-o'-mountain (1610s), from cat of the mountain (early 15c.), a name aplied to various types of wildcat.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper