snow leopard

American  

noun

snow leopards plural

1. a long-haired, leopardlike feline, Panthera (Uncia ) uncia, of mountain ranges of central Asia, having a relatively small head and a thick, creamy-gray coat with rosette spots: an endangered species.

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snow leopard British  

noun

1. Also called: ounce.  a large feline mammal, Panthera uncia, of mountainous regions of central Asia, closely related to the leopard but having a long pale brown coat marked with black rosettes

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• snow leopards
  plural

Etymology

Origin of snow leopard

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

snow leopard

Two rare snow leopard cubs have been born at the park, alongside Himalayan monals and red deer, as well as Bru the capybara, Snoot the giant armadillo and Atty the sloth at Edinburgh Zoo.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

The university team previously monitored snow leopard populations in Kazakhstan.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

So far this year, she has starred in the nearly billion-dollar-grossing blockbuster hit “A Minecraft Movie” and voiced a villainous snow leopard in “The Bad Guys 2.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2025

Here, researchers collected eDNA from tracks left by wild Alaskan polar bears and Swedish Eurasian lynx, as well as captive polar bears, lynx, and a snow leopard kept in wildlife parks in Sweden and Finland.

From Science Magazine ● Dec. 5, 2023

The snow leopard heard them coming, and Lord Asriel stood up as Mrs. Coulter came around the corner.

From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman