Leopard Means Lion-Panther, and That Was a Mistake
A leopard is a large spotted cat of Africa and Asia. Its name records an ancient belief that it was a hybrid of two other animals.
The leopard is a big cat with rosette-shaped spots, found from Africa to eastern Asia. Its name is a Greek compound of *leon*, lion, and *pardos*, panther: the ancients thought the leopard was a cross between the two. It is nothing of the kind, but the mistaken name has outlived the belief by two thousand years.
- A large spotted cat. *A leopard in the acacia.*
- Leopard print — the pattern as decoration. *A leopard-print coat.*
- A leopard cannot change its spots — people do not change. *He is late again; a leopard cannot change its spots.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | leopard | A young leopard. |
| Plural | leopards | Three leopards. |
| Female | leopardess | A leopardess and cubs. |
| Related | panther | A black panther. |
| Related | jaguar | A jaguar in Brazil. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Leopards drag kills into trees.To keep them from lions and hyenas.
- A black panther is usually a melanistic leopard.Or a jaguar, depending on the continent.
- Can the leopard change his spots?From the Book of Jeremiah.
Telling the big spotted cats apart
- Leopard — rosettes without central dots, Africa and Asia
- Jaguar — larger rosettes with dots inside, the Americas
- Cheetah — solid round spots, built for speed
- Snow leopard — thick pale coat, high mountains of Asia
- Panther — not a species: a black leopard or jaguar
From Late Latin *leopardus*, from Greek *leopardos*, from *leon* and *pardos*. The saying about spots comes from the Hebrew Bible, in the Book of Jeremiah.
Is a panther a separate species?
No. Panther usually means a black leopard in Africa and Asia or a black jaguar in the Americas. The dark coat is caused by melanism.
Leopard or cheetah?
Cheetahs have solid round spots, a slim build and black tear marks on the face. Leopards are heavier with rosette-shaped markings.