Dictionary

cougar en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ˈkuɡɚ/ (US)
• [ˈkʰuɡɚ] (US)
• /ˈkuːɡə/ (UK)
• (Australia) audio

Etymology

From French couguar, from Portuguese cuguardo, a deformation of Brazilian Portuguese suçuarana (earlier çuçuarana), from Old Tupi sûasuarana.

Meanings

1. (Canada, US) A wild feline, of species Puma concolor, native to the Americas.
   • The Cougar has entirely disappeared, or is very rarely met with. This animal was about the size of the wolf, of a gray color, strong, active, fierce and untameable. 1831, Francis Smith Eastman, A history of the state of New York:
   • The only indigenous long tailed cat in America north of the parallel of 30 degrees is the cougar. The wild cats, so called, are lynxes with short tails; and of these there are three distinct species. 1854, “The cougar, and an adventure with one”, in The Anglo-American Magazine, volume 4, page 84:
   • Winter’s task was to illustrate cougars—also known as mountain lions—in an urban environment. His research led him to biologist Jeff Sikich, whose work with a mountain lion population in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area on the outskirts of L.A. seemed promising. 2013 November 14, Alexa Keefe, Steve Winter, “A Cougar Ready for His Closeup”, in National Geographic, archived from the original on 01 Mar 2021:
   • They are found in Brasil, Paraguay, and in the country of the Amazons; and there is reason to believe that the animal, described by some travellers, under the name of the Ocorome, in Peru, is the same as the cougar, as well as that in the country of the Iroquois, which has been considered as a tiger, thought it is neither striped like that animal, nor spotted like the panther. 1792, Georges-Louis Leclerc, anonymous translator, Buffon's Natural History, volume 7, London: Printed by J.S. Barr, Bridges-Street, Covent-Garden, translation of original in French:
2. (Canada, US, derogatory, slang) An older woman who actively seeks the casual, often sexual, companionship of younger men, by implication a female “sexual predator”.
   • “Younger can be good. How much younger?” Regina asked, inspecting the appetizer plates for any lingering bites. “I don't know,” Alexa said frowning. “Why does that matter?” “Less than eight years makes you a Puma. Over eight years makes you a Cougar,” Regina said wisely, grinning as Lauren nodded excitedly in agreement. 2011, Donna McDonald, Dating A Cougar, →ISBN:
   • “Early on, when we were dating, I was like, ‘Do you think I’m a cougar?’” she recalls with a laugh. When Woolfolk started growing out his salt-and-pepper beard, she was thrilled. 2026 May 7, Clover Hope, “‘Do you think I’m a cougar?’: five influencer couples on their age-gap relationships”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
   • Barney Stinson: She's a cougar, Ted! / Robin Scherbatsky: I thought you said you can't be a cougar if you're over 50. 2010, “Home Wreckers”, in How I Met Your Mother, season 5, episode 20 (television production):
   • I am 26 years old and in a respectful but super-sexual relationship with a recent divorcée in her 40s. (A "cougar," in local slang.) [2001 June 7, Dan Savage, “Count Every Vote”, in The Stranger:
   • A cougar approached Warren at the Palomino Club and asked for a dance.

Forms

Coordinates

toy boy · cub · sugar mama · OWL · MILF

Deriveds

cougarish · cougarness · cougaring · cougarship · cougarlike · cougarhood

Hypernyms

cradle snatcher · manther · cradle robber

Synonyms

painter · catamountain · panther · puma · red tiger · catamount · mountain lion

Translations (172)

jv puma (Puma concolor) · unm kwèn'shùkwënay (Puma concolor) · ari waxtás (Puma concolor) · es robacuna (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · es rompecuna (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · es león montañés (Puma concolor) · ckb شێرەکێوی (Puma concolor) · ko 퓨마 (Puma concolor) · ppi ñmitay (Puma concolor) · nv ashiikéyázhí há naalzheehí (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · hy կատվառյուծ (Puma concolor) · es león americano (Puma concolor) · ms kugar (Puma concolor) · vi máy bay (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · cs puma (Puma concolor) · id tante girang (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · kju yahmoṭ (Puma concolor) · ka კუგუარი (Puma concolor) · chr ᏢᏓᏥ (Puma concolor) · fi puuma (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · oc puma (Puma concolor) · ru кугуа́р (Puma concolor) · ncj mistli (Puma concolor) · ar كَوْجَر (Puma concolor) · ka პუმა (Puma concolor) · mfy óusei (Puma concolor) · bll taⁿta (Puma concolor) · et puuma (Puma concolor) · es asaltacunas (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · ja ピューマ (Puma concolor) · th เสือพูมา (Puma concolor) · sv puma (Puma concolor) · nl poema (Puma concolor) · moh kén꞉reks (Puma concolor) · xsl nódacho (Puma concolor) · cay dagu꞉sgo꞉wah (Puma concolor) · el πούμα (Puma concolor) · ru пу́ма (Puma concolor) · az dağ aslanı (Puma concolor) · eo pumo (Puma concolor) · chy nanóse'hame (Puma concolor) · es onza bermeja (Puma concolor) · sjw mšipeši (Puma concolor) · yaq óusei (Puma concolor) · srs dichasgughani (Puma concolor) · pao tooonugwetsedu (Puma concolor) · lkt igmúwatȟogla (Puma concolor) · com toyaruku (Puma concolor) · tr dağ aslanı (Puma concolor) · fla skʷtismye (Puma concolor) · hop toho (Puma concolor) · fa پوما (Puma concolor) · ca puma (Puma concolor) · lkt igmútȟaŋka (Puma concolor) · ms ڤوما (Puma concolor) · ga púma (Puma concolor) · vi máy bay bà già (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · mch kawadimö (Puma concolor) · fi puuma (Puma concolor) · es león de montaña (Puma concolor) · es puma (Puma concolor) · ncz iciwata∙ (Puma concolor) · win wicąwą sįįc serec (Puma concolor) · tqw 'okma'ek (Puma concolor) · lut swəwaʔ (Puma concolor) · da puma (Puma concolor) · pom ldé (Puma concolor) · de Puma (Puma concolor) · nl bergleeuw (Puma concolor) · ru го́рный лев (Puma concolor) · km ពូម៉ា (Puma concolor) · chl tukwet (Puma concolor) · th เสือภูเขา (Puma concolor) · pt onça-parda (Puma concolor) · poi tsabatsca̱ŋ (Puma concolor) · pl kuguar (Puma concolor) · fo puma (Puma concolor) · es león montañero (Puma concolor) · ga cúgar (Puma concolor) · af poema (Puma concolor) · ga leon sléibhe (Puma concolor) · kla daaslaats (Puma concolor) · wiy tatkáhšonił (Puma concolor) · nhe mistli (Puma concolor) · sw puma (Puma concolor) · nch koamistli (Puma concolor) · es vieja verde (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · ur چوزے باز (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · pt puma (Puma concolor) · wap kosharadin (Puma concolor) · chn yułqat oputs (Puma concolor) · cy pwma (Puma concolor) · ka მთის ლომი (Puma concolor) · hu puma (Puma concolor) · nv náshdóítsoh (Puma concolor) · dsb puma (Puma concolor) · fr cougar (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · de Silberlöwe (Puma concolor) · fa شیر کوهی (Puma concolor) · nci miztli (Puma concolor) · shh doyadukubichi' (Puma concolor) · sk puma (Puma concolor) · qu puma (Puma concolor) · km តោភ្នំ (Puma concolor) · cy cwgar (Puma concolor) · th สิงโตภูเขา (Puma concolor) · pt loba (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · fr cougar (Puma concolor) · nhm mistle (Puma concolor) · ms puma (Puma concolor) · akz kowi (Puma concolor) · tr puma (Puma concolor) · fi kotka (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · str W̱ṮEḴTNEĆ (Puma concolor) · id singa gunung (Puma concolor) · aqp niāl (Puma concolor) · osa 𐓣𐓧𐓪̋͘𐓤𐓘 (ilǭ́ka) (Puma concolor) · th เสือคูการ์ (Puma concolor) · gl puma (Puma concolor) · fr puma (Puma concolor) · ms کوݢر (Puma concolor) · apw ndołkah (Puma concolor) · sei xazoj (Puma concolor) · clm q'ə́wic'əp (Puma concolor) · ia puma (Puma concolor) · com pia wa'óo (Puma concolor) · gl loba (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · ood mawid (Puma concolor) · fi vuorileijona (Puma concolor) · it puma (Puma concolor) · xnt pussoúgh (Puma concolor) · el ορεινός λέων (Puma concolor) · osa 𐓣𐓧𐓪́͘𐓟𐓻𐓣 (ilǫ́eži) (Puma concolor) · pt coroa (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · ar أَسَد جِبَال (Puma concolor) · bg пу́ма (Puma concolor) · cmn 美洲獅 /美洲狮 (Puma concolor) · cic kowishto' (Puma concolor) · nhv mistli (Puma concolor) · nhn miztli (Puma concolor) · oj mishibizhii (Puma concolor) · ast puma (Puma concolor) · pt leão-da-montanha (Puma concolor) · it panterona (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · arn pangi (Puma concolor) · es león bayo (Puma concolor) · my တောင်ခြင်္သေ့ (Puma concolor) · io pumao (Puma concolor) · sv bergslejon (Puma concolor) · id puma (Puma concolor) · arp bexookee (Puma concolor) · see hë:es (Puma concolor) · cro iishbíia (Puma concolor) · pt suçuarana (Puma concolor) · hsb puma (Puma concolor) · ro pumă (Puma concolor) · cy llew mynydd (Puma concolor) · inz tukʼeʼm (Puma concolor) · fr lion des montagnes (Puma concolor) · mia kinoosaawia (Puma concolor) · pl kuguarzyca (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · dak inmutanka (Puma concolor) · de Berglöwe (Puma concolor) · mi kouka (Puma concolor) · knj koo (Puma concolor) · mus kaccv (Puma concolor) · ja 熟女 (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · sl puma (Puma concolor) · pl puma (Puma concolor) · gd cugar (Puma concolor) · es loba (slang: older woman who seeks younger men) · pt leão-baio (Puma concolor)