Illustration of mongoose
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).
Examples of mongoose in a Sentence
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Natural habitats were destroyed, pushing animals whose species are already under stress, such as striped hyenas, golden jackals, and Egyptian mongoose, into residential areas, putting them at risk of being killed.
—
Josiane Yazbeck, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026
In the past, the Small Mammals Building has been the home of such animals as fruit bats, sloths, porcupines, armadillos, tamarins, otters, lemurs and mongooses.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Malagasy fossa are most closely related to mongoose and civets, with short and thick fur ranging in color from brown to almost golden with a lighter belly, according to the San Diego Zoo.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
The monkey’s genitals are burned with a candle, and it is placed in a cage with a mongoose, which attacks it.
—Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Oct. 2025
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Josiane Yazbeck, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026
In the past, the Small Mammals Building has been the home of such animals as fruit bats, sloths, porcupines, armadillos, tamarins, otters, lemurs and mongooses.
—Jim Higgins, jsonline.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Malagasy fossa are most closely related to mongoose and civets, with short and thick fur ranging in color from brown to almost golden with a lighter belly, according to the San Diego Zoo.
—Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2025
The monkey’s genitals are burned with a candle, and it is placed in a cage with a mongoose, which attacks it.
—Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati Enquirer, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for mongoose
Cite this Entry
“Mongoose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mongoose. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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