/mong"goohs', mon"-/ , n. , pl. mongooses .
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.
[ 1690-1700; mangus, var. of MUNGUS ]