DictionaryAI

cougar

noun
USKOO-gur/ˈkuɡɚ/UKKOO-guh/ˈkuːɡə/

Pluralcougars

2 meanings of cougar

Practice

  1. 1
    wild catnouncountable
    A large wild cat with a long tail that lives in North and South America.

    A cougar was seen near the hiking trail, so the park closed it for the day.

    Cougars hunt deer in the mountains.

    Similarpuma, panther, catamount

    Note
  2. 2
    older womannounslangderogatoryCanadaUScountable
    An older woman who goes after younger men for casual dates or sex.

    My friends joked that my new neighbor was a cougar because she kept flirting with college guys.

    That bar is known for cougars looking for younger men on Friday nights.

    UsagePeople use it as a joke, but it can hurt. Avoid it in serious writing.

    Note

Practice

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Origin

From French couguar, from Portuguese. It perhaps comes from a word in Tupi, a Brazilian language, meaning "deer-like animal".

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts