jaguar

noun jag·uar \ ˈja-ˌgwär , -gyə-ˌwär , -gwər ; dialectal -gwī(-ə)r , especially British ˈja-gyə-wər \

Definition of jaguar

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

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Recent Examples of jaguar from the Web

By virtue of their closeness at the top, the Jaguars ran away with the team championship, scoring 25 points, 30 ahead of runner-up Covington Catholic (55), which did an admiral job of keeping its runners together.

— marc hardin, Cincinnati.com, "Cooper boys cross country leads pack in Northern Kentucky," 25 Aug. 2017
But in ancient times, Bailey said, people thought eclipses were caused by sky jaguars chasing the sun and slowly devouring it.

— maureen groppe, Indianapolis Star, "Vice President Mike Pence shares space enthusiasm with students at eclipse viewing party," 21 Aug. 2017
For the masochist in you, here are the bottom five: 28. Jaguars' Blake Bortles; 29.

— kirkland crawford, Detroit Free Press, "National writer: Lions' Stafford a top-10 QB, ahead of Cousins, Manning, Newton," 20 Aug. 2017
Injuries Jaguars: Backup S Peyton Thompson left the game in the first half with a right biceps strain.

— jimmy golen, courant.com, "No Brady, no defense, Patriots fall to Jags 31-24 in opener," 10 Aug. 2017
Written by people for whom the experience of being stalked as prey was more immediate, these myths describe the sun being devoured by a dark and starry jaguar, or by a bear, snake, or dragon.

— ross andersen, The Atlantic, "The Eclipse as Dark Omen," 10 Aug. 2017
Jaguars have preyed on livestock in the central America country as their habitat has been encroached by agricultural land.

— meg jones, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Milwaukee County Zoo's jaguar dies at 19," 8 Aug. 2017
There are also large puppets which amaze, such as a running horse and a docile jaguar drinking from an oasis.

— philip potempa, Post-Tribune, "Latest Cirque du Soleil show 'Luzia' both dreamy and dazzling," 25 July 2017
Barn swallows and jaguars are two other examples, according to Ceballos, the lead author of the paper.

— john d. sutter, CNN, "The era of 'biological annihilation'," 11 July 2017

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

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.

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Origin and Etymology of jaguar

Portuguese, from Tupi jawára large carnivore

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First Known Use: 1604

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Other Mammals Terms

dormouse, dugong, gibbon, grimalkin, sable, stoat, ungulate, vole

JAGUAR Defined for English Language Learners

jaguar

noun

Definition of jaguar for English Language Learners

: a large, brown, wild cat with black spots that lives in Central and South America

JAGUAR Defined for Kids

jaguar

noun jag·uar \ ˈjag-ˌwär \

Definition of jaguar for Students

:a large yellowish brown black-spotted animal of the cat family found chiefly from Mexico to Argentina

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See words that rhyme with jaguar Spanish Central: Translation of jaguar Nglish: Translation of jaguar for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about jaguar

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