OXFORD 9000
📚 noun • entry_id 7044

mongoose

/ˈmɒŋ.ɡuːs/
Meanings (ES + gloss)
mangosta
Any of several species of generalist predatory carnivores in the family Herpestidae; the various species range in size from rats to large cats. Indian mongooses are predators of venomous snakes, though other mongoose species have similar habits.
After the mongoose had satisfied its appetite, we proceeded to examine with a pocket lens the wounds he had received from the cobra; and on cleansing one of these places, the lens…
He was a mongoose, rather like a little cat in his fur and his tail, but quite like a weasel in his head and his habits.