cougar

American  

[koo-ger] / ˈku gər /

noun

• cougars,
  plural
• cougar
  plural

1. Also called mountain lion, panther, puma. a large, tawny cat, Felis concolor, of North and South America: now greatly reduced in number and endangered in some areas.

2. Informal. an older woman who seeks sexual relationships with much younger men.

   He's in his twenties, but he prefers cougars in their forties and fifties to young women his own age.

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cougar British  

/ ˈkuːɡə /

noun

1. another name for puma

2. slang a woman in her 30s or 40s who actively pursues casual sexual relationships with young men

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• cougar
  plural
• cougars
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of cougar

First recorded in 1765–75; from French couguar, from New Latin cuguacu ara, cuguacuarana, apparently a misrepresentation of either Guarani guaçu ara or Portuguese çuçuarana, suçuarana (from Tupi susuarana )

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Explanation

A cougar is a type of large cat — male cougars can reach eight feet long. You may have seen a cougar in a nature program about the animals of North and South America. A cougar is a feline, but these cats are not tame house pets — they are dangerous wild animals. Found all the way from Canada to South America, cougars are also called pumas, mountain lions, panthers, and catamounts. The word cougar is also a slang term for an older woman who dates much younger men. Even when it is meant to be a compliment, like any stereotype, cougar has the potential to offend — best to avoid.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

cougar cougars

A coyote is bathed in red light; a cougar stalks near a grand piano; a man stands in a tropical jungle surrounded by mist; a pay phone off the hook dangles by its cord.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Between 2016-24, researchers recorded 12 adult cougar deaths, two of which were caused by wolves.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 3, 2026

“It was so strong,” McVay said of the cougar.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026

To better understand how evolution shaped these sounds, the researchers compared domestic cat meows with those of five wild cat species: African wildcat, European wildcat, jungle cat, cheetah, and cougar.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 11, 2026

Like asking a cougar to dance with a bear.

From "Worth" by A. LaFaye

‘Why are mule deer deemed less worthy than cougars? Don’t we teach our children that all animals have a purpose on our planet?’ writes an L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

The cat haven has been operating for 28 years and houses 39 different cat species, including cheetahs, bobcats, clouded leopards, cougars and snow leopards.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

"Research like this...helps people want to live alongside cougars," he said.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

Suraci and colleagues instead focused on the Olympic Peninsula, where mountain lions -- variously known as cougars, pumas or panthers -- have long been established.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

She spots flashes of The Taker in the dim grottos and murky hollows where the bears and the cougars might be.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

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Related Words

• mountain lion
• panther

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