ichneumon

[ ik-noo-muh n, -nyoo- ]
/ ɪkˈnu mən, -ˈnyu- /

noun

Also called African mongoose, Egyptian mongoose. a slender, long-tailed mongoose, Herpestes ichneumon, inhabiting Africa and southern Europe, and believed by the ancient Egyptians to devour crocodile eggs.
ichneumon fly.

Origin of ichneumon

1565–75; < Latin < Greek ichneúmōn tracker, equivalent to ichneú(ein) to track (see ichno-) + -mōn agent suffix

Words nearby ichneumon

ichabod, ichang, ichihara, ichikawa, ichinomiya, ichneumon, ichneumon fly, ichnite, ichno-, ichnofossil, ichnography

Example sentences from the Web for ichneumon

British Dictionary definitions for ichneumon

ichneumon
/ (ɪkˈnjuːmən) /

noun

a mongoose, Herpestes ichneumon, of Africa and S Europe, having greyish-brown speckled fur

Word Origin for ichneumon

C16: via Latin from Greek, literally: tracker, hunter, from ikhneuein to track, from ikhnos a footprint; so named from the animal's alleged ability to locate the eggs of crocodiles