Mongoose

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Ichneumon \Ich*neu"mon\, n. [L., fr. Gr. ?, lit., the tracker;
     so called because it hunts out the eggs of the crocodile, fr.
     ? to track or hunt after, fr. 'i`chnos track, footstep.]
     1. (Zool.) Any carnivorous mammal of the genus {Herpestes},
        and family {Viverrid[ae]}. Numerous species are found in
        Asia and Africa. The Egyptian species ({Herpestes


        ichneumon}), which ranges to Spain and Palestine, is noted
        for destroying the eggs and young of the crocodile as well
        as various snakes and lizards, and hence was considered
        sacred by the ancient Egyptians. The common species of
        India ({Herpestes griseus}), known as the {mongoose}, has
        similar habits and is often domesticated. It is noted for
        killing the cobra.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Zool.) Any hymenopterous insect of the family
        {Ichneumonid[ae]}, of which several thousand species are
        known, belonging to numerous genera.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     Note: The female deposits her eggs upon, or in, the bodies of
           other insects, such as caterpillars, plant lice, etc.
           The larva lives upon the internal tissues of the insect
           in which it is parasitic, and finally kills it. Hence,
           many of the species are beneficial to agriculture by
           destroying noxious insects.
           [1913 Webster]
  
     {Ichneumon fly}. See {Ichneumon}, 2.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Mongoose \Mon"goose\, Mongoos \Mon"goos\, n.; pl. {Mongooses}
     1. (Zool.) A species of ichneumon ({Herpestes griseus}),
        native of India. Applied also to other allied species, as
        the African banded mongoose ({Crossarchus fasciatus}).
        [Written also {mungoose}, {mungoos}, {mungous}.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. [Tamil manegos.] A Madagascan lemur ({Lemur mongos}).
        [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  mongoose
       n : agile grizzled Old World viverrine; preys on snakes and
           rodents