What does catamount mean?
A catamount is a wild cat of mountainous country — in North American usage the term refers chiefly to the cougar (Puma concolor), though it has also been applied loosely to the lynx. The word arose as a shortened, altered form of 'catamountain,' itself a blend of 'cat' and 'mountain,' first recorded in English in the seventeenth century. Today 'catamount' sounds distinctly rustic and historical: it survives mainly in the northeastern United States, where settlers once reported the animal in the Appalachians and New England woods, and in the nicknames of sports teams such as the University of Vermont's Catamounts. Because the cougar carries many regional names — puma, mountain lion, panther, painter — 'catamount' adds a colorful, old-fashioned option to that crowded synonym set. Writers often reach for it when they want an evocative, frontier-flavored tone rather than neutral scientific precision.
nounA wild cat of mountainous regions, especially a cougar or lynx; the word is chiefly used in North America for the cougar (Puma concolor). It also serves as an adjective meaning wild or fierce in temperament.
- The cougar (Puma concolor), or any similar wild cat such as the lynx, especially in North American usage.
"Hikers in the Adirondacks occasionally catch sight of a catamount slipping through the pines."
"Old-timers in Vermont still swap stories about the eastern catamount, though the last confirmed one was killed in the 1800s."
"From the ridge trail they spotted what looked like a catamount moving through the brush below."
Regular English plural; commonly heard in team and mascot names.
"Early naturalists debated whether the catamounts of New England were cougars or lynxes."
Catamount is just a squashed-up 'cat-a-mountain' — literally a 'cat of the mountains,' coined by English speakers who had never actually seen one.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of catamount
Catamount originated in the early seventeenth century as an altered shortening of 'catamountain,' a word formed by blending 'cat' with 'mountain' (via Anglo-Norman and Old French 'montaine'). English colonists applied it to the large wild cats of the Americas, particularly the cougar, which they likened to a 'lion' or 'tyger' of their own naming traditions. The word thus belongs to a family of folk-blend terms rather than deriving directly from Latin or Greek roots.
Related word forms
How catamount is actually used
Catamount is somewhat old-fashioned and regional today, surviving most strongly in the northeastern United States and in sports team and place names (e.g., the University of Vermont Catamounts). In everyday speech, 'cougar,' 'puma,' or 'mountain lion' are far more common. The plural is simply 'catamounts.'
Easily confused with catamount
Caterwaul is a verb meaning to make a shrill howling or wailing noise (like cats in heat), while catamount is a noun naming a wild feline such as a cougar.
A catamaran is a boat with twin hulls; despite the shared 'cata-' spelling, it has no connection to the catamount, which names a wild cat.