English Reference

Word

puma

US/ˈpumə/

UK/pˈuːmɐ/

Definition

n. a large, wild cat with light brown fur that lives in the mountains and forests of North and South America.

n. a large, tawny-colored wild cat native to the Americas, also known as a mountain lion or cougar.

Examples

“The puma moved silently through the mountain forest.”

“Hikers are warned to stay on the trail to avoid disturbing the local puma population.”

“Conservationists track the puma across vast territories to understand how urban expansion affects the migratory patterns of these solitary predators.”

Examples

simple

“The puma moved silently through the mountain forest.”

contextual

“Hikers are warned to stay on the trail to avoid disturbing the local puma population.”

complex

“Conservationists track the puma across vast territories to understand how urban expansion affects the migratory patterns of these solitary predators.”

Usage

Often used interchangeably with 'cougar' or 'mountain lion' depending on the geographical region.

Etymology

Borrowed from Spanish puma, from Quechua puma.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/puma

English Reference