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.
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According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, jaguars have disappeared from about 49 percent of their original range across the Americas.
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Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
Panthera is involved in conservation efforts in 11 of the 18 nations home to jaguars.
—Tom Page, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
Large cats including lions, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, ocelots, jaguarundis, pumas, lynxes, and bobcats are banned from private ownership, according to Connecticut state statutes.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2026
Border-crossing jaguars have been coming back to the United States since then, and nearly a dozen distinct individuals have been documented, mostly in southern Arizona.
—Nick Miroff, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2026
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Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2026
Panthera is involved in conservation efforts in 11 of the 18 nations home to jaguars.
—Tom Page, CNN Money, 13 Apr. 2026
Large cats including lions, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, ocelots, jaguarundis, pumas, lynxes, and bobcats are banned from private ownership, according to Connecticut state statutes.
—Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 7 Apr. 2026
Border-crossing jaguars have been coming back to the United States since then, and nearly a dozen distinct individuals have been documented, mostly in southern Arizona.
—Nick Miroff, The Atlantic, 17 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for jaguar
Cite this Entry
“Jaguar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jaguar. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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