jaguar
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of jaguar
1595–1605; < Portuguese < Tupi jaguara
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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.
Vocabulary lists containing jaguar
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.
Waymo is launching around 100 Ojai vehicles and plans to ramp up production to supplement its fleet of Jaguar I-Pace taxis, which shuttle customers around in more than 10 cities.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026
One account on X said: "Ferrari just killed their brand just like Jaguar did. This is straight to the junkyard trash."
From BBC • May 26, 2026
Jaguar Land Rover, like other automakers, suffered last year when the United States slapped tariffs on imports, which led the automaker to halt delivery of vehicles to the country in April.
From Barron's • May 14, 2026
Most of Waymo’s fleet are Jaguar EVs, although the company is testing its latest vehicle, an electric van called the Ojai.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
He jumped down the steps as the house crumbled behind him and dashed straight for Ishtar's Jaguar, which was parked out front and, miraculously, had escaped damage.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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.
