jaguar

noun

jag·​uar ˈja-ˌgwär  -gyə-ˌwär 

-gwər;

 dialectal  -gwī(-ə)r,

 especially British  ˈja-gyə-wər

plural jaguars also jaguar

: a large cat (Panthera onca) chiefly of Central and South America that is larger and stockier than the leopard and is brownish yellow or buff with black spots

Illustration of jaguar

Did you know?

The jaguar is the largest New World cat. It was once found in wooded regions from the U.S.-Mexican border south to Patagonia, Currently, the jaguar survives, in reduced numbers, only in remote areas of Central and South America; the largest known population is in the Amazon rain forest. The male is 5.5-9.0 ft. (1.7-2.7 m) long, including the tail, which measures 23-35-in. (60-90-cm) long, and weighs 220-350 lbs. (100-160 kg). The coat is typically orange-tan with black spots arranged in rosettes with a black spot in the center. A solitary predator, the jaguar usually hunts rodents, deer, birds, and fish; it will also take cattle, horses, and dogs.

Examples of jaguar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The girl is in the Brazilian capital, but the headset transports her to a fictitious Indigenous village in the Atlantic rainforest, where capybaras and jaguars dart across the landscape. —Constance Malleret, Christian Science Monitor, 20 May 2025

Not too long ago, jaguars were enemy number one in this area. —Will McGough, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025

Ranchers still blame jaguars when their calves disappear or turn up dead. —Benji Jones, Vox, 21 May 2025

The footage was grainy but clearly showed a jaguar passing near the camera then slowly vanishing into the trees. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 16 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Portuguese, from Tupi jawára large carnivore

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for jaguar

• adar
• afar
• ajar
• alar
• ansar
• bazaar
• bizarre
• boxcar
• boyar
• bulbar
• cachar
• cigar

Kids Definition

jaguar

noun

jag·​uar ˈjag(-yə)-ˌwär 

: a large yellowish brown black-spotted cat of tropical America that is larger and has a more solid build than the leopard