snow leopard

American  

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of snow leopard

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

And who can find a snow leopard when he needs one?

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 21, 2026

Yangchen points to pugmarks in the dust: "This shows the snow leopard has been here recently. These pugmarks are fresh."

From BBC • Feb. 5, 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

In a moment the snow leopard had leaped after him, and Pantalaimon let the other daemon go, and both young daemons, changing flick-flick-flick, turned and battled with the great spotted beast.

From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman