cougar

[koo-ger]

noun

plural

cougars ,

plural

cougar .

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.

cougar

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of cougar¹

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 )

Word History and Origins

Origin of cougar¹

C18: from French couguar, from Portuguese cuguardo, from Tupi suasuarana, literally: deerlike, from suasú deer + rana similar to

Example Sentences

Korinna Domingo, founder and director of the Cougar Conservancy, emphasized how cougar behavior in Los Angeles is similarly shaped by decades of urban development, fragmented landscapes and the social and political choices that structure them.

From Los Angeles Times

Stage 2, the final phase, will connect the structure to the hills at the north and south so that wildlife, like L.A.’s famous, ill-fated cougar, P-22, can use it.

From Los Angeles Times

The deputies kept an eye on the cougar as they waited for Ventura County Animal Services, who then took over the incident and requested assistance from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

From Los Angeles Times

Twenty big cats - including a Bengal tiger and four cougars - have died of the bird flu over the past several weeks at an animal sanctuary in the state of Washington.

From BBC

Revelations from the study arrive as some Southern California and Central Coast cougars are at a crossroads.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• mountain lion 
• panther