clouded leopard

American  

noun

1. a medium-sized wild cat, Felis nebulosa, with brownish-gray fur spotted or striped with black, native to southeastern Asia and Indonesia: an endangered species.

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Etymology

Origin of clouded leopard

First recorded in 1905–10

Example Sentences

A similar cut to an enclosure was found in the first case, when Nova, a 25-pound clouded leopard, was missing Jan. 13, zoo officials said.

From Washington Post • Feb. 3, 2023

The trouble at the zoo began in the middle of January with the escape of a 25-pound clouded leopard through a hole in the leopard’s enclosure that officials said had been deliberately cut.

From New York Times • Feb. 3, 2023

The zoo closed Jan. 13 after workers arriving that morning found that the clouded leopard, named Nova, was missing.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 31, 2023

A string of suspicious incidents began at the zoo earlier this month when a young clouded leopard escaped from its exhibit through a cut-out hole.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2023

One day, Tao Tao was introduced to a “predator”—a clouded leopard stuffed toy, smeared with leopard pee and poo and plopped in the middle of the forest.

From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh