panther

/ˈpænθər/

/ˈpænθə/

Other forms: panthers

A panther is a large, black leopard. Panthers are related to the kitty purring in your lap, but they're ten times bigger.

When most people think of a panther, they picture a black panther, which is really a leopard with an all-black coat. Strictly speaking, a panther can also be a puma, which is a brown cat that's similar in size to a jaguar. Panther is a Greek word meaning "leopard," and it became commonly (and confusingly) applied to both pumas and cougars in the 18th century.

Definitions of panther

1. noun

   a leopard in the black color phase
   type of:

   Panthera pardus, leopard

   large feline of African and Asian forests usually having a tawny coat with black spots
2. noun

   a large spotted feline of tropical America similar to the leopard; in some classifications considered a member of the genus Felis
   synonyms: Felis onca, Panthera onca, jaguar

   type of:

   big cat, cat

   any of several large cats typically able to roar and living in the wild
3. noun

   large American feline resembling a lion
   synonyms: Felis concolor, catamount, cougar, mountain lion, painter, puma

   type of:

   wildcat

   any small or medium-sized cat resembling the domestic cat and living in the wild