Meanings
plural ichneumons
- An Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon), found in Africa and southern Europe.
when the Ichneumon is to grapple with the Crocodile, he walloweth his body in the mire, then lets the same drie and harden upon him[…].
1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 12, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLCSynonyms: nems
- An ichneumon wasp.
Ada's unique Lorelei Underwing had died, paralyzed by some ichneumon that had not been deceived by those clever prominences and fungoid smudges.
1969, Vladimir Nabokov, Ada or Ardor, Penguin, published 2011, page 43 - human sciencesa legendary animal, which kills crocodiles and dragons
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn Egyptian mongoose (Herpestes ichneumon), found in Africa and southern Europe.
More synonyms by meaning
nounnorthern African mongoose; in ancient times thought to devour crocodile eggs
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Ancient Greekἰχνεύμων“tracker”
- Latinichneumōn
- Englishichneumon
Learned borrowing from Latin ichneumōn, from Ancient Greek ἰχνεύμων (ikhneúmōn, “tracker”), from ἴχνος (íkhnos, “track, footstep”).
More words from Latin, Ancient Greek
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἰχνεύμων
- ἰχνεύμων (ikhneúmōn)Herpestes ichneumon
Chinese Mandarin 埃及獴
- 埃及獴 (Āijí měng)Herpestes ichneumon
Dutch ichneumon
- ichneumonHerpestes ichneumon
Finnish egyptinmungo, faaraorotta
- egyptinmungoHerpestes ichneumon
- faaraorottaHerpestes ichneumon
German Ichneumon
- IchneumonHerpestes ichneumon
Latin ichneumon
- ichneumonHerpestes ichneumon
Portuguese saca-rabos
- saca-rabosHerpestes ichneumon
Romanian ihneumon
- ihneumonHerpestes ichneumon
Russian ихневмо́н, фарао́нова кры́са
- ихневмо́н (ixnevmón)Herpestes ichneumon
- фарао́нова кры́са (faraónova krýsa)Herpestes ichneumon
- еги́петский мангу́ст (jegípetskij mangúst)Herpestes ichneumon
Spanish meloncillo
- meloncilloHerpestes ichneumon
Swedish faraokatt, faraoråtta
- faraokattHerpestes ichneumon
- faraoråttaHerpestes ichneumon
- egyptisk mungoHerpestes ichneumon
Turkish firavun faresi, kuyruksüren
- firavun faresiHerpestes ichneumon
- kuyruksürenHerpestes ichneumon
Welsh llygoden Ffaro, llygoden Ffrengig yr Aifft
- llygoden FfaroHerpestes ichneumon
- llygoden Ffrengig yr AifftHerpestes ichneumon
- ichnewmonHerpestes ichneumon
Cite this entry
ichneumon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ichneumon
“ichneumon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ichneumon. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ichneumon,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ichneumon.
Source: ichneumon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.