Puma
/ˈpjuː.mə/noun
A large American wild cat with a plain tan coat, also called a cougar or mountain lion.
Did you know?Unlike words such as “disaster” or “nightmare,” “puma” has no hidden dark literal meaning in English; its mystery is in the journey from Indigenous American languages into global zoological vocabulary.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Columbian
Quechua
puma
“The cougar or mountain lion”
16th Century
Spanish
puma
“Borrowed term for the American big cat”
17th-18th Century
English
puma
“A South American wild cat”
Modern English
English
puma
“A large American feline, especially the cougar”