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

Laura worked at the zoo’s panda exhibit and then joined a coworker who started the wildlife rehab Nature's Nursery. —Wendy Grossman Kantor, PEOPLE, 19 Dec. 2025

Chinese pandas to leave Japan amid diplomatic row There will be no pandas in Japan for the first time since 1972, with the last pair set to return to China in February. —Ben Smith, semafor.com, 15 Dec. 2025

Following Brigitte Macron’s visit, the announcement of a new agreement to send two more pandas to France by 2027 served as a tangible deliverable of the summit. —Xianda Huang, The Conversation, 15 Dec. 2025

As 60 Minutes reported in 2020, raising a baby panda takes a lot of work. —CBS News, 7 Dec. 2025

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

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