clouded leopard

cloud·ed leopard | \ ˈklau̇-dəd-

How to pronounce clouded leopard (audio)

\

Definition of clouded leopard

: either of two medium-sized, often arboreal cats (Neofelis nebulosa of mainland southeast Asia and N. diardi of Borneo and Sumatra) that are grayish to yellowish with darker irregular rings, ovals, and rosettes … new analysis shows the clouded leopards of Borneo (and also Sumatra) are a bit darker than their mainland cousins, with smaller cloud-shaped markings.— Helen Fields

Examples of clouded leopard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web They are listed as vulnerable in the wild by the International Union of Conservation of Nature, which estimated that there are about 10,000 clouded leopards in the wild. — Roger Catlin, Smithsonian, "The Smithsonian’s Ten Splashiest New Acquisitions of 2019," 18 July 2019 Reportedly the smallest of the large cats, the clouded leopard can rotate its ankles. — Marcy De Luna, Houston Chronicle, "Houston Zoo welcomes pair of baby clouded leopards," 13 Nov. 2019 It is estimated that there are about 10,000 clouded leopards in the wild. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, "National Zoo Warmly Welcomes Their First Clouded Leopard Cubs," 11 Sep. 2019 According to the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, the zoo recently welcomed two clouded leopard cubs to their Asia Trail. — Kelli Bender, PEOPLE.com, "National Zoo Warmly Welcomes Their First Clouded Leopard Cubs," 11 Sep. 2019 Other definitions group big cats by size and add clouded leopards, cheetahs, snow leopards and cougars. — Elisa Neckar, Discover Magazine, "20 Things You Didn't Know About ... Big Cats," 8 May 2018 Some point to the clouded leopard of Asia has sometimes as having the potential to become the next sabertooth. — Brian Switek, Smithsonian, "How Did Sabercats Use Those Outlandish Fangs?," 21 Mar. 2017 The cat’s canines are long for its size; perhaps, over time and with the right evolutionary nudging, the clouded leopard or another cat could take Smilodon's place. — Brian Switek, Smithsonian, "How Did Sabercats Use Those Outlandish Fangs?," 21 Mar. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clouded leopard.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about clouded leopard

Dictionary Entries near clouded leopard

cloud-cuckoo-land

clouded leopard

clouded sulphur

Statistics for clouded leopard

Last Updated

1 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Clouded leopard.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clouded%20leopard. Accessed 18 January 2020.

WORD OF THE DAY

vicarious

experienced by way of someone else

Test Your Vocabulary

The Eponym Quiz

Which is the best synonym of bowdlerize?

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.