Cougar
/ˈkuː.ɡər/noun
A large tawny wild cat of the Americas; also used informally for an older woman who pursues younger men.
Did you know?The English word comes through French from a Native American source, commonly traced to Guaraní *guasu ara* or a related Tupí-Guaraní form, and it entered European natural history as the Americas were being mapped and mythologized.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian
Tupí-Guaraní
*guasu ara* / related form
“A native name for the mountain lion or a similar large wild cat”
16th Century
Portuguese/French
cougar / couguar
“Borrowed colonial-era form used by European writers for the American big cat”
18th Century
French
couguar
“A large American feline, especially the puma”
18th–19th Century
English
cougar
“The puma or mountain lion of the Americas”
Late 20th Century
English
cougar
“Slang for an older woman who dates younger men”
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