mongoose

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈmɒŋguːs/US:USA pronunciation: IPA and respellingUSA pronunciation: IPA/ˈmɑŋˌgus, ˈmɑn-/ ,USA pronunciation: respelling(mong′go̅o̅s′, mon′-)

Inflections of 'mongoose' (n): npl: mongooses

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025
mon•goose /ˈmɑŋˌgus, ˈmɑn-/USA pronunciation   n. [countable], pl. -goos•es. 
  1. Mammalsa slender meat-eating animal noted for its ability to kill cobras.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
mon•goose  (mong′go̅o̅s′, mon′-),USA pronunciation n., pl. -goos•es. 
  1. Mammalsa slender, ferretlike carnivore, Herpestes edwardsi, of India, that feeds on rodents, birds, and eggs, noted esp. for its ability to kill cobras and other venomous snakes.
  2. Mammalsany of several other animals of this genus or related genera.
  • Marathi mangūs, variant of muṅgūs
  • 1690–1700

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
mongoose / ˈmɒŋˌɡuːs/ ( -gooses)
  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
Etymology: 17th Century: from Marathi mangūs, of Dravidian origin
'mongoose' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
African mongoose - ichneumon - life-and-death

Forum discussions with the word(s) "mongoose" in the title:


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