Illustration of mongoose
plural mongooses also mongeese
ˈmän-ˌgēs 
ˈmäŋ-
: any of numerous long slender carnivorous mammals (family Herpestidae) chiefly of Africa and southern Europe and Asia that are usually ferret-sized agile mammals typically with nonretractile sharp claws, short legs, long tail, and usually brownish or grayish fur sometimes with bands or stripes
Note: Mongooses feed chiefly on small animals (such as insects, earthworms, birds, snakes, and rodents) and are sometimes grouped with the viverrids in two subfamilies (Herpestinae and Galidiinae).
Examples of mongoose in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One rabid mongoose bite later, and Ben is a skull-crushing, face-ripping menace terrorizing Lucy and her friends.
—
Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
Barn owls and mongoose, other species that like to feed on terns, are rare in the urban core.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Mongoose The mongoose, the classic enemy of snakes, has nothing to do with geese.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
Natural habitats were destroyed, pushing animals whose species are already under stress, such as striped hyenas, golden jackals, and Egyptian mongoose, into residential areas, putting them at risk of being killed.
—Josiane Yazbeck, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026
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Brian Truitt, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2026
Barn owls and mongoose, other species that like to feed on terns, are rare in the urban core.
—ABC News, 1 Apr. 2026
Mongoose The mongoose, the classic enemy of snakes, has nothing to do with geese.
—Encyclopedia Britannica, 31 Mar. 2026
Natural habitats were destroyed, pushing animals whose species are already under stress, such as striped hyenas, golden jackals, and Egyptian mongoose, into residential areas, putting them at risk of being killed.
—Josiane Yazbeck, The Conversation, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for mongoose
Cite this Entry
“Mongoose.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mongoose. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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