puma

IPA/ˈpjuːmə/
KK[pˈumə]IPA/ˈpuːmə/

puma — noun

  • pumasingular
  • pumasplural

1. a large wild cat with brown or grey fur, found in mountainous and forested areas

1.nounB1
Definition

a large wild cat with brown or grey fur, found in mountainous and forested areas across the Americas

Example

Yara spotted a puma resting on a rocky ledge while hiking in the Andes.

habitat: mountainous regions of the Americas

Chidi learned that pumas use strong back legs to leap over twelve metres.

physical traits: powerful legs and jumping ability

Synonyms
  • cougar

    more common in North American English, especially in the western US and Canada

  • mountain lion

    descriptive name used widely in the Rocky Mountain region

  • panther

    used in the eastern US and parts of Latin America, though technically refers to any big cat with a solid coat colour

Usage Note

This animal is also commonly called a mountain lion or cougar, especially in North America. All three names refer to the same species (Puma concolor).

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms can refer to the same animal (Puma concolor), but they differ in regional usage and connotation. Puma is the most internationally recognised term and is standard in scientific and Latin American contexts. Cougar is the dominant name in the western United States and Canada, while mountain lion is more descriptive and common in general North American media. Panther is used in the eastern US and parts of Latin America for the same animal, though it can also refer to leopards or jaguars with dark coats. For example, a news report from California might say 'a cougar was seen near the trail,' while a nature documentary narrated in British English would likely say 'the puma hunts alone.'

puma ↗cougar ↗mountain lion ↗panther ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • puma population
  • puma habitat
  • puma sighting
  • puma fur

Phrases

  • puma concolor

Prepositions

  • of a puma
  • puma in

Etymology

QuechuaSpanishEnglish

The word puma entered English in the early 1600s from Spanish, which borrowed it from Quechua, the language of the Inca Empire. The Quechua word puma simply meant 'cougar' or 'large cat.' This makes puma one of the few English words for an animal that comes directly from an indigenous South American language, reflecting the fact that the puma was unknown to Europeans before colonisation of the Americas.