catamount

[ kat-uh-mount ]

/ ˈkæt əˌmaʊnt /

a wild animal of the cat family, especially the cougar or the lynx.

catamountain.

Origin of catamount

First recorded in 1655–65; short for catamountain

There was no time to retreat, for he heard, close by, an angry snarl from the catamount.

The Camp in the Snow |William Murray Graydon
The strange, upright pupils of the catamount's eyes narrowed and dilated at the sight, and his muscles quivered to sudden tension.

The Watchers of the Trails |Charles G. D. Roberts
A catamount would tear you to bits with his great claws before you could run!

The Children of the Valley |Harriet Prescott Spofford
Our native hunters never heard the word lynx, but call the animal a “catamount.”

Our Southern Highlanders |Horace Kephart

Or, chased and hurt By wolf or catamount, thy task undone, Thy precious life would then be thrown away.

Laura Secord, the heroine of 1812 |Sarah Anne Curzon

catamount

/ (ˈkætəˌmaʊnt) /

any of various medium-sized felines, such as the puma or lynx

C17: short for cat of the mountain