Mongoose definitions

mŏng'go͝os', mŏn'-
Any of various carnivorous mammals of the family Herpestidae, native to Asia, Africa, and southern Europe and introduced elsewhere, having a slender agile body and a long tail, and noted for the ability to seize and kill venomous snakes.
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Any of various civetlike, Old World carnivores (family Viverridae), esp., any of a sometimes domesticated genus (Herpestes) noted for their ability to kill poisonous snakes, rodents, etc.
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Carnivores of the family Herpestidae and the similar Malagasy mongooses (Galidiinae), ranging in size from small rats to large cats, including the Indian mongoose famed as a predators of venomous snakes.
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Origin of mongoose

From Portuguese mangus, from Marathi मुंगूस (mumgūsa), from Telugu ముంగిస (muṅgisa).

Sentence Examples

  • But the story of the ichneumon or mongoose is a fable.

  • Some more or less immune creatures are the mongoose, the hedgehog and the pig, the secretary-bird, the honey buzzard, the stork and probably other snake-eaters.

  • The same mongoose also refused to eat a kestrel (Cerchneis rupicoloides) and a hobby (Falco subbuteo), although it devoured certain other birds that were given to it.

  • He found that a South African drongo (Dicrurus (Buchanga) assimilis) was rejected after one or two attempts to eat it by a hungry mongoose (Herpestes galera) which had been starved for purposes of the experiment.

  • After her 'Tour Of The Mongoose' (2002/3), Shakira released a DVD and CD compilation album from the tour in 2004 entitled 'Live And Off The Record'.

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Words near mongoose in the Dictionary