pumas
pumas — noun
- pumassingular
- pumasesplural
1. a powerful wild cat with brown or tawny fur that lives in forests, mountains, an
a powerful wild cat with brown or tawny fur that lives in forests, mountains, and grasslands across the Americas; also called a cougar or mountain lion
Hana spotted a puma resting on a rock above the hiking trail in Patagonia.
spot + wild animal in natural habitat
A puma's deep growl echoed through the forest just before sunset.
possessive: puma's + noun (growl)
The wildlife guide told Diego that pumas rarely attack humans unless cornered.
In the hills above Santiago, pumas sometimes hunt sheep on the farms at night.
Kwame photographed a puma with two cubs crossing a river in the national park.
- cougar
the most common name in the US and Canada; also has an unrelated slang meaning
- mountain lion
a descriptive name used widely in rural and western North America
- panther
sometimes used for the Florida subspecies, but more often refers to black leopards or jaguars elsewhere
文法句型
a puma
the puma
pumas (plural)
用法筆記
Also commonly called 'cougar' or 'mountain lion'. 'Puma' is the preferred term in Latin America and in scientific writing.
常見錯誤
2. a woman, typically in her thirties or forties, who actively seeks romantic or se
a woman, typically in her thirties or forties, who actively seeks romantic or sexual partners much younger than herself
Elena laughed when friends called her a puma for dating a much younger man.
informal label; called + a puma
A gossip website labelled the singer a puma when she dated a man of twenty-two.
media usage; labelled + a puma
Tariq's aunt calls herself a puma and says she prefers younger men.
In the film, Lúcia plays a puma who falls for a much younger student.
The dating site helps pumas meet younger men for casual relationships.
- cougar
similar slang but usually refers to women aged 40 and older rather than those in their 30s
文法句型
a puma
the puma
pumas (plural)
用法筆記
Informal and often playful; can be mildly derogatory depending on tone. More common in British English than American. Distinguish from sense 1 (LARGE WILD CAT) — context usually makes the meaning clear.