[mong-goos, mon-] 
| 1. | a slender, ferretlike carnivore, Herpestes edwardsi, of India, that feeds on rodents, birds, and eggs, noted esp. for its ability to kill cobras and other venomous snakes. |
| 2. | any of several other animals of this genus or related genera. |
| mon·goose (mŏng'gōōs', mŏn'-) n. pl. mon·goos·es Any of various Old World carnivorous mammals of the genus Herpestes and related genera, having a slender agile body and a long tail and noted for the ability to seize and kill venomous snakes. [Marathi mangūs, of Dravidian origin.] |