leopard

noun

leop·​ard ˈle-pərd 

1

a

: a large strong cat (Panthera pardus) of southern Asia and Africa that is adept at climbing and is usually tawny or buff with black spots arranged in rosettes

called also panther

b

: the fur or pelt of a leopard

2

: a heraldic representation of a lion passant guardant

Illustration of leopard

• leopard 1

Examples of leopard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This mixed-print take on French tips combines leopard, zebra, and tortoiseshell for a manicure that takes a walk on the wild side. — Odeya Pinkus, InStyle, 19 July 2026

South Africa will always be one of the world's greatest destinations for seeing lions, leopards, rhino, elephants and buffalo. — Sarah Kingdom, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026

Kasper says the study has already helped the group tweak its research efforts to look at what factors influence the disturbance and survival of Sunda clouded leopards. — Douglas Main, Scientific American, 17 July 2026

Go to Minneriya National Park from June through October to lay eyes on hundreds of Asian elephants, or Yala National Park, home to one of the world’s largest concentration of leopards. — Veronica Lopez, Travel + Leisure, 14 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French lepart, leupart, from Late Latin leopardus, from Greek leopardos, from leōn lion + pardos leopard

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing leopard

• a leopard can't change its spots
• clouded leopard
• leopard cat
• leopard frog
• leopard seal
• snow leopard

Rhymes for leopard

• peppered
• shepherd

Kids Definition

leopard

noun

leop·​ard ˈlep-ərd 

: a large strong cat of southern Asia and Africa that has a brownish buff coat with black spots arranged in broken rings

called also panther