leopard

[ lep-erd ]
/ ˈlɛp ərd /
SEE 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.
  1. an Anglo-Gallic gold coin issued by Edward III, equal to half a florin, bearing the figure of a leopard.
  2. a silver Anglo-Gallic coin issued by Henry V.
(initial capital letter)Military. a 42-ton (38-metric ton) West German tank with a 105 mm gun.

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Origin of leopard

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English leopard, labarde, lebarde, from Old French leopard, lebard, leupard, from Late Latin leōpardus, from Greek leópardos, syncopated variant of leontópardos, equivalent to leonto- (stem of léōn ) + párdos; see origin at lion, pard1

Words nearby leopard

Leonov, leontiasis, Leontief, leontopodium, Leontovich, leopard, leopard complex, leopardess, leopard frog, Leopardi, leopard lily
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to leopard

panther, cheetah

Example sentences from the Web for leopard

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