puma

noun
pu·​ma | \ ˈpü-mə How to pronounce puma (audio) , ˈpyü- How to pronounce puma (audio) \
plural pumas also puma

Definition of puma

: cougar sense 1 also : the fur or pelt of a cougar

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Examples of puma in a Sentence

adult pumas can sometimes weigh over 200 pounds

Recent Examples on the Web

The Florida panther is the only puma subspecies that exists east of the Mississippi River. Fox News, "Florida panthers suffering from mysterious disorder affecting their ability to walk, officials say," 21 Aug. 2019 The Florida panther is a subspecies of the puma or cougar, a far more numerous animal that roams the western United States, Canada and Central and South America. David Fleshler, sun-sentinel.com, "Boxing champ Tyrone Spong faces wildlife charges after ‘extremely dangerous’ cougar gets loose," 16 Aug. 2019 One such incident occurred in May 2014 when a large male puma hid behind a small hedge on a busy street in Mountain View for nine hours as pedestrians and bicyclists passed only a few feet away. Peter Fimrite, SFChronicle.com, "Fearsome mountain lions high-tail it out of there when they hear human voices," 17 July 2019 Other changes have been smaller — tribes are now named after animals, like pumas and mustangs, rather than Native American tribes. Liz Teitz, ExpressNews.com, "Special needs camp continues to grow, delight," 1 Aug. 2019 Population: There are as many as 5,000 pumas in California, according to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. Peter Fimrite, SFChronicle.com, "Fearsome mountain lions high-tail it out of there when they hear human voices," 17 July 2019 View Sample Sign Up Now Here’s a sampling of these brief bursts of imaginative firepower: In the title story, a traveler discovers a puma in an airplane bathroom. Time, "Review: A Puma in the Airplane Bathroom, a Wikipedia Page Deleter and More in Chuck Klosterman's Latest," 11 July 2019 Los Llanos Camp Bird watch and track puma in this reserve near the Colombian Andes with Plan South America. Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, "Where to Go When You Just Want to Be Alone," 7 Sep. 2018 Silverado and two other puma cubs will be featured when the Oakland Zoo opens its $71 million, 45-acre California Trail, which will almost double the zoo’s size. Steve Rubenstein, San Francisco Chronicle, "Oakland Zoo’s puma cubs get comfortable in their soon-to-open exhibit," 6 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'puma.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of puma

1774, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for puma

Spanish, from Quechua

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More Definitions for puma

puma

noun
pu·​ma | \ ˈpyü-mə How to pronounce puma (audio) , ˈpü-\

Kids Definition of puma

: cougar

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