mongoose
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noun, plural mon·goos·es.
1.
a slender, ferretlike carnivore, Herpestes edwardsi, of India, that feeds on rodents, birds, and eggs, noted especially for its ability to kill cobras and other venomous snakes.
2.
any of several other animals of this genus or related genera.
Origin:
1690–1700; < Marathi mangūs, variant of muṅgūs
1690–1700; < Marathi mangūs, variant of muṅgūs
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To mongoose
Collins
World English Dictionary
mongoose (ˈmɒŋˌɡuːs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n , pl -gooses | |
| any small predatory viverrine mammal of the genus Herpestes and related genera, occurring in Africa and from S Europe to SE Asia, typically having a long tail and brindled coat | |
| [C17: from Marathi mangūs, of Dravidian origin] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Mongoose
is always a great word to know.
So is gobo. Does it mean:
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
| a screen or mat covered with a dark material for shielding a camera lens from excess light or glare. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
mongoose
"snake-killing ichneumon of India," 1698, perhaps via Port., from an Indic language (cf. Mahrathi mangus "mongoose"), probably ult. from Dravidian (cf. Telugu mangisu, Kanarese mungisi). The form of the Eng. word altered by folk-etymology.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
It's certainly happened in the presence of a mongoose and baboon, but neither mammal reacted.
Donkeys, goats, and mongoose were introduced by humans.
Top males gain high reproductive success by guarding more successful females in a cooperatively breeding mongoose.
Meerkats are the only members of the mongoose family without a bushy tail.
Nearby Words
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