cougar

IPA/ˈkuːɡə(r)/
KK[kˈuɡɚ]IPA/ˈkuːɡər/

cougar — noun

  • cougarsingular
  • cougarsplural

1. a large wild cat with short brown or grey fur that lives in mountain and forest

1.nounB1
Definition

a large wild cat with short brown or grey fur that lives in mountain and forest areas from Canada to the Andes of South America, also called a puma or mountain lion.

Example

A cougar was spotted crossing a highway near the Rocky Mountain National Park last night.

passive: was spotted + location

Deepa saw fresh cougar tracks in the mud while walking along a trail in the forest.

collocation: cougar tracks

Common collocations
  • spot a cougar
  • cougar tracks
  • wild cougar
  • young cougar
  • cougar population
  • sight a cougar
Synonyms
  • puma

    the most widely used alternative name, especially in scientific and South American contexts

  • mountain lion

    common in western North America, emphasises habitat

  • panther

    used mainly in Florida for the local subspecies; also used generically for black big cats, though cougars are never fully black

Grammar Patterns

a/the + cougar

cougar + verb (singular/plural)

Usage Note

This animal has many regional names: 'puma' is more common in South America, 'mountain lion' in western North America, and 'panther' in Florida. 'Cougar' is the standard term in scientific and general English.

Common Mistakes

I saw a cougar in the African savanna.
I saw a cougar in the Rocky Mountains.
Cougars live only in the Americas, not in Africa.
The cougar is a type of big cat like a tiger.
The cougar is a type of big cat found only in the Americas.
Cougars are different from Old-World big cats like tigers and lions, and they cannot roar.

2. an informal term for a woman over forty who dates or seeks romantic relationship

2.nounB2
Definition

an informal term for a woman over forty who dates or seeks romantic relationships with men who are noticeably younger than herself.

Example

The tabloid magazine called the famous actress a cougar for dating a man fifteen years younger.

collocation: call [someone] a cougar

Rosa's friends teased her when she started seeing a younger man, joking that she had become a cougar.

joking: become a cougar

Common collocations
  • call someone a cougar
  • label someone a cougar
  • cougar status
  • cougar stereotype
Synonyms
  • older woman

    neutral term without the slang connotations of 'cougar'

Grammar Patterns

call [someone] a cougar

refer to [someone] as a cougar

[be] a cougar

Usage Note

This sense is informal and can be offensive. Many women reject the label because it reduces a relationship to an age stereotype. The term is most common in tabloid and entertainment media, not in serious discussion.

Common Mistakes

My neighbour is 45 and single — she's a cougar.
My neighbour is 45 and single.
Being an older single woman does not make someone a cougar; the term specifically implies active pursuit of younger partners.
He is a cougar.
She is a cougar.
'Cougar' in this sense specifically refers to a woman, not a man. The equivalent term for an older man with a younger partner is 'silver fox' or simply 'older man'.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms — cougar, puma, mountain lion, and panther — can refer to the same biological species (Puma concolor), but they differ in regional usage and connotation. 'Cougar' is the most widely recognised name in general English and in scientific literature. 'Puma' is the preferred term across Latin America and in many wildlife journals; it also appears in brand names and sports mascots, giving it a slightly more formal or international feel. 'Mountain lion' is the common name in the western United States and Canada — it emphasises the animal's habitat and is the term most hikers and ranchers use. 'Panther' is more confusing: it properly refers to the Florida panther subspecies and also to entirely different species (the black panther, which is a leopard or jaguar). Using 'panther' for a standard cougar can cause misunderstanding. For a learner: 'cougar' is always correct; use 'mountain lion' when speaking about North American wilderness, and 'puma' in scientific or Latin American contexts.

puma ↗mountain lion ↗panther ↗

Etymology

TupiPortugueseFrenchEnglish

The word 'cougar' entered English in the late 1700s from French 'couguar', which came from Portuguese 'çucuarana'. Portuguese explorers borrowed the word from the Tupi language of South America, where 'suasuarana' means 'similar to a deer' — a reference to the animal's brownish coat. The word has been used in English for the animal since the 1770s, and the slang sense for an older woman with a younger partner emerged in Canadian English in the early 2000s.