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

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

In 2024, the database also includes planes colliding with three alligators in Florida, a mongoose in Hawaii, a badger in North Dakota and numerous coyotes, bats, skunks and opossums. —Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 25 July 2025

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