leopard
Meanings
noun
- Panthera pardus, a large wild cat with a spotted coat native to Africa and Asia.
- The male of the species P. pardus, in contrast to leopardess.
- A similar-looking, large wild cat named after the leopard.
- A clouded leopard (either Neofelis nebulosa or Neofelis diardi), a large wild cat native to Asia.
- The snow leopard (Panthera uncia), a large wild cat native to Asia.
- A lion passant guardant.
- Any of various nymphalid butterflies of the genus Phalanta, having black markings on an orange base.
name
- A surname.
Pronunciation
Word forms
Etymology
From Middle English leopard, leopart, lepard, leperd, from Old French leopard (“leopard”), from Late Latin leopardus (“leopon, lipard”) from late Ancient Greek λεόπαρδος (leópardos, “leopon, lipard”), from λέων (léōn, “lion”) + πάρδος (párdos, “pard, male leopard”), from earlier πάρδαλις (párdalis, “leopard”), probably from an unattested Old Persian [Term?] term ancestral to Middle Persian [script needed] (palang), Khwarezmian [script needed] (plyk), Sogdian [script needed] (pwrδnk), Pashto پړانګ (pṛāng). Compare Persian پلنگ (palang) and Sanskrit पृदाकु (pṛdāku, “panther”).
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Translations
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