Illustration 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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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
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The parks are also home to tapirs, giant anteaters, howler monkeys, ocelots, and jaguars.
—
Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Meet Filly the jaguar, who moved to the Milwaukee County Zoo in January of this year and has settled in well, zookeepers say.
—Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Among the first to enjoy their jack-o’-lanterns filled with appropriate treats were the big cat residents of the zoo, with the bobcat Bernice stalking her ghoulish prey while Ziggy, a black jaguar, tore into his treat.
—Heather McRea, Oc Register, 27 Oct. 2025
Look for jaguars in the wetlands of Iberá, Argentina; become a citizen scientist in the Amazon, Peru.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
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Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Meet Filly the jaguar, who moved to the Milwaukee County Zoo in January of this year and has settled in well, zookeepers say.
—Steven Martinez, jsonline.com, 28 Oct. 2025
Among the first to enjoy their jack-o’-lanterns filled with appropriate treats were the big cat residents of the zoo, with the bobcat Bernice stalking her ghoulish prey while Ziggy, a black jaguar, tore into his treat.
—Heather McRea, Oc Register, 27 Oct. 2025
Look for jaguars in the wetlands of Iberá, Argentina; become a citizen scientist in the Amazon, Peru.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jaguar
Cite this Entry
“Jaguar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jaguar. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
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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
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