mara

n. a female demon from old European stories who sits on people's chests while they sleep to give them nightmares.

n. a malevolent female entity in Germanic and Scandinavian folklore believed to cause nightmares by sitting on the sleeper's chest.

“In the old legend, the mara would visit the village at night to steal people's breath.”

“The etymology of 'nightmare' is rooted in the belief that a mara would crouch upon the dreamer, inducing a state of suffocating terror.”

Archaic · Literary

n. a large rodent from South America that looks a bit like a long-legged rabbit.

n. a large caviid rodent of the genus Dolichotis, native to the open habitats of Argentina.

“We saw a Patagonian mara at the zoo, and it looked like a mix between a deer and a rabbit.”

“The Patagonian mara is one of the world's largest rodents, notable for its monogamous breeding pairs and cursorial adaptations.”

Technical

n. a type of violent criminal gang, especially one from Central or North America.

n. a form of organized criminal gang originating in Central America, particularly El Salvador, and active in the United States.

“The news report discussed the influence of the mara in the city's suburbs.”

“Law enforcement agencies have spent decades developing strategies to dismantle the transnational networks of the mara.”

American English · Informal