A woman over 40 who sexually pursues younger men, typically more than eight years her junior. The term is Canadian, appearing first in print on the Canadian dating website Cougardate.com and has been used in TV series, advertising and film.

In a survey of 4,500 British singles by online dating service Parship.com, it showed that about 35% of single females in their 40s, 50s, and 60s are hunting for men at least five years younger. The figure was only 8% five years ago. It appears, about 21% of British men in their 20s and 30s say they would date an older woman — compared with8% five years ago.

A South Korean Statistics study of 1,462 cougar couples in 2007 shows that one in every 10 married couples is estimated to have an older bride.

The report mentions that 70% of unmarried women did not not care if their date was three or four years younger, and 40% of unmarried men said it was unimportant whether their date was three or four years older, but stressed that she must be financially independent.

Kim Cattrall, the 51-year-old actress – famed for her man-eating character Samanatha Jones in the ‘Sex and the City’ TV series and movies – says she’s over the trend of older women dating younger men and thinks the stereotype of a so called “cougar” is dead.

She said: “Cougar is passe. I think we’re on to something else now. It’s not about kitten or cougar – we’re moving beyond those stereotypes.