Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

jaguar

American  
[jag-wahr, -yoo-ahr, jag-yoo-er] / ˈdʒæg wɑr, -yuˌɑr, ˈdʒæg yu ər /

noun

  1. a large spotted feline, Panthera onca, of tropical America, having a tawny coat with black rosettes: now greatly reduced in number and endangered in some areas.

jaguar British  
/ ˈdʒæɡjʊə /

noun

  1. a large feline mammal, Panthera onca, of S North America, Central America, and N South America, similar to the leopard but with a shorter tail and larger spots on its coat

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of jaguar

1595–1605; < Portuguese < Tupi jaguara

Compare meaning

How does jaguar compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

Explanation

One of your pet cat's many wild relatives is the jaguar, a large, spotted animal that's found in North, Central, and South America. The jaguar is so fast that a famously fancy car is named after it. The jaguar, third-largest of all the cats, looks like a bigger, stronger version of a leopard. They were once common in the western part of the United States, but have nearly been eradicated there and verge on being endangered worldwide. The word jaguar is Portuguese in origin, from the Tupi jaguara, which is a general term for any large, predatory animal.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing jaguar

English Words Derived from Indigenous Languages of the Americas

Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Owning a jaguar in Texas is legal, but it’s not legal to sell an endangered species out of state.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 15, 2025

There’s no fishing, but wildlife sightings are common, including a very large cat — a black jaguar? — at water’s edge in early October.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2024

"The jaguar and the caybara were so curious. They didn't run."

From BBC • Oct. 11, 2024

Lundberg and his diver companion had found fossils in the same place before, including mammoth teeth, bones of an ancient jaguar and parts of a dire wolf.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 6, 2024

When the jaguar swam across alligator-infested lagoons, Roosevelt swam after it, holding his rifle over his head.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.