panda

pan·da

noun \ˈpan-də\

Definition of PANDA

1

: red panda

2

: a large black-and-white mammal (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) of chiefly central China that feeds primarily on bamboo shoots and is now usually classified with the bears (family Ursidae) —called also giant panda

Illustration of PANDA

Origin of PANDA

French, perhaps from a language of the southeast Himalayas

First Known Use: 1835

Rhymes with PANDA

Ganda

panda

noun    (Concise Encyclopedia)

Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)—Tom McHugh/Photo Researchers

Species (Ailuropoda melanoleuca, family Ursidae) of white-and-black forest-dwelling carnivore, found in central China, that subsists almost exclusively on bamboo. Because they cannot digest cellulose, wild pandas (of which there are about 1,600) spend as much as 16 hours a day eating up to 40 lb (18 kg) of bamboo leaves, stems, and shoots to obtain needed nutrients. More than 120 individuals live in captivity, mostly in China. Large males may attain 6 ft (1.8 m) in length and weigh more than 220 lb (100 kg); females are usually smaller. Giant pandas live alone except when breeding. They have a slow reproductive cycle and are difficult to breed in captivity.

Variants of PANDA

panda or giant panda