cougar

[ koo-ger ]

noun

, plural cou·gars, (especially collectively) cou·gar.

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. See puma
   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

The bill bans the private ownership of tigers, cheetahs, lions, jaguars and cougars.

From Washington Post

I knew I had to keep a level head and stay in the moment and kind of just keep making rational decisions so that I could get out—and the mama cougar could get out—of the whole situation.

From Outside Online

I was able to wait it out for 30 minutes once the mama cougar left me and was able to finish the loop to my car.

From Outside Online

You hear about, like, “Oh yeah, my buddy saw a cougar or bear one time.”

From Outside Online

The next day, our Department of Natural Resources, the wildlife service out here, actually went up to try to look for the cougar, and they said they couldn’t find anything.

From Outside Online

First they labeled me the “girlfriend,” then I was the “cougar girlfriend.”

From The Daily Beast

She cut her teeth first directing episodes of Cougar Town, about 10 in all.

From The Daily Beast

Courtney Cox is the model every sitcom star prays works out for them with the cable success of Cougar Town.

From The Daily Beast

Despite the age difference, he seems to complement her perfectly, and you never get the sense that Imogene is a “cougar.”

From The Daily Beast

Harry has been focused on 'cougar' websites for women seeking toyboys, The Sun says.

From The Daily Beast

A large dull-red scar on the right jaw and another across the left cheek added the final touches to this countenance of a cougar.

From Project Gutenberg

The skin of both the jaguar and cougar are easily penetrated even with the arrows of the Indians.

From Project Gutenberg

The cougar is easily tamed, and rendered nearly as familiar as domestic animals.

From Project Gutenberg

One bright morning, while he was at his camp-fire, the tame cougar gave a low, growling warning.

From Project Gutenberg

The cougar did not have great difficulty in following, though it was evident he did not like such traveling.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• mountain lion
• panther