ˈmä]ŋˌgüs, ]nˌ- sometimes ˈmə]\ noun
( plural mongooses )
Etymology: Hindi mũgūs, mãgūs, from Prakrit maṅguso, perhaps of Dravidian origin; akin to Tamil mūṅkā mongoose
1.
a. : an agile keen-sighted grizzled brown and black viverrine mammal ( Herpestes nyula ) of India that is about the size of a ferret, has a sharp snout and a long heavy tail, captures and feeds on snakes including the most venomous and on rodents, and is often domesticated
b. : any other member of the genus Herpestes or of various related genera native to Asia and Africa — compare ichneumon 1
2. or mongoose lemur : a Madagascan lemur ( Lemur mongoz )
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