MONGOOSE

noun (plural ~s; also mongeese) Etymology: Hindi & Marathi mãgūs, from Prakrit maṁgūsa Date: 1698 any of numerous carnivorous mammals (family Herpestidae) that are agile usually ferret-sized mammals sometimes with bands or stripes, feed chiefly on small animals and fruits, and are sometimes grouped with the viverrids in two subfamilies (Herpestinae and Galidiinae)