Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

mountain lion

American  

noun

  1. cougar.

mountain lion British  

noun

  1. another name for puma

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of mountain lion

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Zookeepers intend to introduce him soon to a new sibling — Clover, a female mountain lion cub rescued from El Dorado County earlier in March.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

Crimson is one of the youngest mountain lion cubs the zoo has ever cared for, and ensuring he reaches adulthood is no easy task.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

She’d never heard of a mountain lion attack in her area, she said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 25, 2026

“This petition is going to hurt the mountain lion more than anything,” said Vince Fontana, a fourth-generation rancher from San Mateo County.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2026

Once, when hiking with his family, Rowan had gone off on his own and had encountered a mountain lion.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.