panda

American  

[pan-duh] / ˈpæn də /

noun

• pandas
  plural

1. Also called giant panda.  a white-and-black, bearlike mammal, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, now rare and restricted to forest areas of central China containing stands of bamboo, on which it mainly subsists: formerly placed with the raccoon family but now classified as a bear subfamily, Ailuropodinae, or as the sole member of a separate family, Ailuropodidae, which diverged from an ancestral bear lineage.

2. Also called lesser panda.  a reddish-brown, raccoonlike mammal, Ailurus fulgens, of mountain forests in the Himalayas and adjacent eastern Asia, subsisting mainly on bamboo and other vegetation, fruits, and insects, and reduced in numbers by collectors: now considered unrelated to the giant panda and usually classified as the sole member of an Old World raccoon subfamily, Ailurinae, which diverged from an ancestral lineage that also gave rise to the New World raccoons.

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panda British  

/ ˈpændə /

noun

1. Also called: giant panda.  a large black-and-white herbivorous bearlike mammal, Ailuropoda melanoleuca, related to the raccoons and inhabiting the high mountain bamboo forests of China: family Procyonidae

2. a closely related smaller animal resembling a raccoon, Ailurus fulgens, of the mountain forests of S Asia, having a reddish-brown coat and ringed tail

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pandas
  plural

Etymology

Origin of panda

1825–35; < French (Cuvier), a name for the lesser panda, perhaps < a Tibeto-Burman language of the southeastern Himalayas

Explanation

A panda is a black and white bear that's native to China. You can't miss the giant pandas in the zoo, with those distinctive black rings around their eyes. For years experts debated about whether pandas were bears, a type of raccoon, or their own separate species. The latest DNA research has scientists mostly convinced that pandas are indeed bears. These big mammals have a reputation for being lazy, but they spend almost 20 hours a day eating, and they don't hibernate like many bears. Wild pandas are endangered, but there are about 400 captive pandas being carefully bred and protected.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

panda pandas

Raj, Ruby’s 4-year-old partner and father to her cubs, is now the only red panda left at the Santa Barbara Zoo.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

They looked like kids trying and failing to win a giant stuffed panda at the state fair.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 11, 2026

The custom readings are bound in booklets, each featuring a spirit animal, such as a panda, and suggested habits.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026

Kazakh Shaidorov had a more lighthearted programme to "Kung Fu Panda" decked out in a full-body panda outfit.

From Barron's ● Feb. 22, 2026

She tucks the panda back inside, sitting up to zip the coat back up.

From "Five Feet Apart" by Rachael Lippincott

Ruby’s two cubs were born on July 2 and were the first red pandas born at the zoo in more than 30 years.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026

Rodents and goats may not be so exciting as tigers and pandas - but this zoo wants to raise their profile.

From BBC ● May 29, 2026

You’ll find everything from red pandas to critically endangered black-and-white ruffed lemurs.

From Salon ● Mar. 31, 2026

Japan's last two pandas were also returned to China last month.

From Barron's ● Feb. 24, 2026

She is unaware of just how few pandas are left in the world, unaware that the giant panda—so rare and beautiful and beloved—is vulnerable.

From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh