leopard

[ lep-erd ]

/ ˈlɛp ərd /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR leopard ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a large, spotted Asian or African carnivore, Panthera pardus, of the cat family, usually tawny with black markings; the Old World panther: all leopard populations are threatened or endangered.

the fur or pelt of this animal.

any of various related cats resembling this animal.

Heraldry. a lion represented from the side as walking, usually with one forepaw raised, and looking toward the spectator.

Numismatics.

an Anglo-Gallic gold coin issued by Edward III, equal to half a florin, bearing the figure of a leopard.
a silver Anglo-Gallic coin issued by Henry V.

(initial capital letter) Military. a 42-ton (38-metric ton) West German tank with a 105mm gun.

Content related to leopard

A Smack Of Jellyfish And Other Strange Animal Groups And, many of these animal groups have colorful, fanciful names: a murder of crows, a covey of partridges, a clowder of cats.

Words related to leopard

panther, cheetah

Words nearby leopard

leonov, leontiasis, leontief, leontopodium, leontovich, leopard, leopard cannot change its spots, a, leopard frog, leopard lily, leopard lizard, leopard moth

Origin of leopard

1250–1300; Middle English < Late Latin leōpardus < Greek leópardos, syncopated variant of leontópardos, equivalent to leonto- (stem of léōn) lion + párdos pard¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for leopard

Their captors wore palm leaves, leopard skins, and magical relics to make themselves immune to bullets.
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis|Nina Strochlic|November 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A leopard seal is “about a thousand-pound animal with lots of teeth,” Perryman explains.
Soon We’ll Be Watching Whales By Drone|Abigail Golden|August 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Leopard By Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa The Leopard was the life work of a Sicilian aristocrat, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa.
Favorite Historical Novels|Stella Tillyard|November 9, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Their collection features sparkling hotpants, midriff-baring tops, leopard prints, and combat boots.
Lourdes' Edgy New Look|Isabel Wilkinson|November 18, 2010|DAILY BEAST

Ma'am, in the leopard dress," he announces over a stolen police car PA system, "you have an incredible rack.
Dad-olescence: The New Midlife Crisis|Sean Macaulay|October 27, 2009|DAILY BEAST
From the woods and the forests they came, and from the bare hillsides—the lion, the leopard and the trembling fawn.
Children of the Dawn|Elsie Finnimore Buckley
The Leopard Woman, not knowing what else to do, trailed after him.
The Leopard Woman|Stewart Edward White
But Tito had as little bent that way as a leopard has to lap milk when its teeth are grown.
Romola|George Eliot
Thus when the leopard put down the bed and was going to eat Ledha, he found it empty.
Folklore of the Santal Parganas|Cecil Henry Bompas
The leopard, scarcely believing in his good luck, licked his lips.
The Settler and the Savage|R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for leopard

leopard

/ (ˈlɛpəd) /

noun

Also called: panther a large feline mammal, Panthera pardus, of forests of Africa and Asia, usually having a tawny yellow coat with black rosette-like spots

any of several similar felines, such as the snow leopard and cheetah

clouded leopard a feline, Neofelis nebulosa, of SE Asia and Indonesia with a yellowish-brown coat marked with darker spots and blotches

heraldry a stylized leopard, painted as a lion with the face turned towards the front

the pelt of a leopard

Derived forms of leopard

leopardess, fem n

Word Origin for leopard

C13: from Old French lepart, from Late Latin leōpardus, from Late Greek leópardos, from leōn lion + pardos pard ² (the leopard was thought at one time to be the result of cross-breeding)

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