leopard

noun

leop·​ard ˈle-pərd How to pronounce leopard (audio)
1
a
: a large strong cat (Panthera pardus) of southern Asia and Africa that is adept at climbing and is usually tawny or buff with black spots arranged in rosettes

called also panther

b
: the fur or pelt of a leopard
2
: a heraldic representation of a lion passant guardant

Illustration of leopard

Illustration of leopard
  • leopard 1

Examples of leopard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Here, the stairs are carpeted in leopard print, a nod to the previous owners. Max Berlinger Stefan Ruiz, New York Times, 18 Mar. 2024 Culpo also added leopard and martini emojis to the photo. Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 13 Mar. 2024 The last panel features a leopard shark found along our beaches like La Jolla, surrounded by kelp, and two California least terns flying above that—an endangered species that nests in our Mission Bay/Pacific Beach areas. Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024 But interior designers assert that adding leopard to your space doesn’t need to be complicated. Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Mar. 2024 Then there’s a leopard print rug, black ceiling, multiple sherbet hues, turquoise walls with fucsia trim, a floral accent wall and loads of photos of country icon Dolly Parton — all in the same room. The Indianapolis Star, 26 Feb. 2024 The actress would have to wait eight more years before receiving her own statuette. 04 of 16 Wild Child The actress posed with her son, Michael Wilding Jr., in matching leopard swimsuits in the mid '50s. Melissa Liebling-Goldberg, Peoplemag, 26 Feb. 2024 The Rocket Man’s leopard Rolex Daytona was just one part of the singer’s private collection—which was housed in his former Atlanta condo, no less—that achieved an impressive $8 million on the opening night of Christie’s Collection of Sir Elton John Goodbye Peachtree Road sale. Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 22 Feb. 2024 Cute leopard mules with a kitten heel for a mob-wife aesthetic moment? Jenifer Calle, Glamour, 17 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'leopard.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French lepart, leupart, from Late Latin leopardus, from Greek leopardos, from leōn lion + pardos leopard

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of leopard was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near leopard

Cite this Entry

“Leopard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leopard. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

leopard

noun
leop·​ard ˈlep-ərd How to pronounce leopard (audio)
: a large strong cat of southern Asia and Africa that has a brownish buff coat with black spots arranged in broken rings

called also panther

More from Merriam-Webster on leopard

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