mongoose

noun

mon·​goose ˈmän-ˌgüs  ˈmäŋ- 

plural mongooses also mongeese ˈmän-ˌgēs 

ˈmäŋ-

: any of numerous long slender carnivorous mammals (family Herpestidae) chiefly of Africa and southern Europe and Asia that are usually ferret-sized agile mammals typically with nonretractile sharp claws, short legs, long tail, and usually brownish or grayish fur sometimes with bands or stripes

Note: Mongooses feed chiefly on small animals (such as insects, earthworms, birds, snakes, and rodents) and are sometimes grouped with the viverrids in two subfamilies (Herpestinae and Galidiinae).

Illustration of mongoose

Examples of mongoose in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Dwarf mongooses deposit more territorial scent markings when a rival is detected nearby, meanwhile meerkats tend to scent mark near burrows that intruders have scoped out. — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 16 July 2026

Beyond the huge gym windows, Maharashtra is waking to another green-gold morning of bulbul birdsong and mooching mongooses. — Horatio Clare, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 June 2026

Several unrelated species evolved strikingly similar receptor modifications independently — including mongooses (family Herpestidae), hedgehogs (subfamily Erinaceinae) and pigs (Sus domesticus). — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 31 May 2026

Who is the enemy of a mongoose? — Big Think, 8 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Hindi & Marathi mãgūs, from Prakrit maṁgūsa

First Known Use

1673, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

mongoose

noun

mon·​goose ˈmän-ˌgüs  ˈmäŋ- 

plural mongooses

: any of various quick-moving mammals with a long slender body and long tail that are about the size of a ferret and feed chiefly on small animals and fruit