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Definition of mountain lion

mountain lion

Plural:mountain lions
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• noun

1

North American A large, powerful, tawny-colored wild cat (Puma concolor) native to the Americas, known for its exceptional leaping ability and stealthy ambush hunting behavior.

Example

"Park rangers warned the campers to keep their food secured and to stay alert, as a mountain lion had recently been spotted near the trail."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for mountain lion

Word Nuance & Usage

The terms 'mountain lion', 'cougar', 'puma', 'catamount', and 'panther' all refer to the exact same species of large cat (Puma concolor); 'mountain lion' is the preferred terminology in western North America.

• Nearby Words

mountain goat
mountain horned dragon
mountain laurel
mountain lion
mountain patch nose snake
mountain zebra
mountainscape

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Mountain lion. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Oct 16, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/mountain%20lion
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