panda

noun

pan·​da ˈpan-də 

1

: red panda

2

: a large black-and-white mammal (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) of chiefly central China that feeds primarily on bamboo shoots and is now usually classified with the bears (family Ursidae)

called also giant panda

Illustration of panda

• A red panda
• B panda 2

Examples of panda in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Zoo Atlanta pandas are the only pandas that can be seen in the United States and their loan from China ends this year. —Cbs Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026

And plenty of humans would appreciate a better understanding of how to convince trash pandas a puzzle isn’t worth investigating any more. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 13 Mar. 2026

The options include a panda, tiger, hippo, or (my favorite) a tiny little sloth. —Chaunie Brusie, Parents, 13 Mar. 2026

And of course, in a nod to the name, panda imagery will take center stage. —Aviva Bechky, Houston Chronicle, 5 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, perhaps from a language of the southeast Himalayas

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing panda

• giant panda
• lesser panda
• panda car
• red panda
• trash panda

Rhymes for panda

• banda
• ganda
• vanda
• aranda
• miranda
• veranda
• verandah
• jacaranda
• memoranda
• propaganda

Kids Definition

panda

noun

pan·​da ˈpan-də 

1

: red panda

2

: a large black and white mammal of chiefly central China that feeds primarily on bamboo shoots and is now usually considered to be closely related to the bears

called also giant panda