Panther

¹ American  

[pan-ther] / ˈpæn θər /

noun

1. Black Panther.

---

panther ² American  

[pan-ther] / ˈpæn θər /

noun

plural

panthers,

plural

panther

1. the cougar or puma, Felis concolor.

2. the leopard, Panthera pardus.

3. any leopard in the black color phase.

4. a very fierce person.

5. Military. Panther, a 43-ton (39-metric ton) German tank of World War II with a 75 mm gun as its main armament.

---

adjective

1. fierce; strong and violent.

panther British  

/ ˈpænθə /

noun

1. another name for the leopard, esp the black variety, which is known as the black panther

2. any of various related animals, esp the puma

---

Etymology

Origin of Panther¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Origin of panther¹

First recorded before 1000; from Latin panthēra, from Greek pánthēr; replacing Middle English pantere (from Old French, from Latin ) and Old English pandher (from Latin )

Example Sentences

The bathrooms are decorated with faux marble, and the image of a black panther with a yellow eye fixed on customers as they freshen up.

From Barron's

“My heavens! You have chimpanzees, and panthers, and baboons, and even a hippopotamus. Nutsawoo will be thrilled.”

From Literature

But beneath Sophie’s polished facade lurks a yearning for danger symbolized by the panther tattoo on her thigh.

From The Wall Street Journal

They’ve been told to buddy up when taking trips to the latrines because of “alligators and Florida panthers and venomous snakes and different types of creatures.”

From Salon

It was the screensaver of a black panther that first inspired the look of Toothless in the animated films.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cougar