panda

American  

[pan-duh] / ˈpæn də /

noun

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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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

"The little panda is cute, adorable and totally heart-melting," a fan wrote on the zoo's social media page.

From Barron's • May 15, 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

The first original movies Pixar made under Docter included “Luca,” about a shy Italian boy who’s secretly a sea creature, and “Turning Red,” about a Chinese-Canadian girl who transforms into a giant panda during puberty.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026

More recently, China's panda loans have coincided with major trade agreements.

From BBC • Jan. 25, 2026

Because of bamboo’s low nutrient value, a panda must eat between twenty and forty pounds a day, even in winter, to gain the nutrition it needs.

From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh