Definition of mongoose in English:
mongoose
nounPlural mongooses ˈmɒŋɡuːsˈmɑŋˌɡus
A small carnivorous mammal with a long body and tail and a grizzled or banded coat, native to Africa and Asia.
Family Herpestidae (or Viverridae): several genera, in particular Herpestes, and many species
- We have birds and mammals here such as the slender mongoose and large spotted genets that are not rare, but it's still nice to have them in a city like Johannesburg.
- Virtually none of the small carnivorous mammals of Southeast Asia (cats, civets, mongooses, weasels) have crossed it from west to east on their own.
- Genetic testing has revealed that, regardless of appearances, the fossa is a close cousin of the mongoose, and a member of the viverrid family, which also includes meerkats, civets, and genets.
- Some others like the wild pig, the palm civet, the common mongoose, the golden oriole, and the rat snake can survive even with little green cover and withstand disturbances.
- With no other carnivores around, mongooses and civets became Madagascar's predators, and the fossa filled the hunting niche usually occupied by cats.
Origin
Late 17th century: from Marathi maṅgūs.
Definition of mongoose in US English:
mongoose
nounˈmɑŋˌɡusˈmäNGˌɡo͞os
A small carnivorous mammal with a long body and tail and a grizzled or banded coat, native to Africa and Asia.
Family Herpestidae (or Viverridae): several genera, in particular Herpestes and Mungos, and many species, including the banded mongoose (M. mungo)
- We have birds and mammals here such as the slender mongoose and large spotted genets that are not rare, but it's still nice to have them in a city like Johannesburg.
- With no other carnivores around, mongooses and civets became Madagascar's predators, and the fossa filled the hunting niche usually occupied by cats.
- Some others like the wild pig, the palm civet, the common mongoose, the golden oriole, and the rat snake can survive even with little green cover and withstand disturbances.
- Virtually none of the small carnivorous mammals of Southeast Asia (cats, civets, mongooses, weasels) have crossed it from west to east on their own.
- Genetic testing has revealed that, regardless of appearances, the fossa is a close cousin of the mongoose, and a member of the viverrid family, which also includes meerkats, civets, and genets.
Origin
Late 17th century: from Marathi maṅgūs.