Word
leopard
Phoneticsleop·ard
US/ˈɫɛpɝd/
UK/lˈɛpəd/
Definitions
01the animal
n. a large wild cat with yellow fur and black spots that lives in Africa and Asia.
n. a large, solitary feline (Panthera pardus) native to Africa and parts of Asia, distinguished by its spotted coat and ability to climb trees.
“The leopard hid in the tall grass while watching the herd of deer.”
“Conservationists are working to protect the leopard's natural habitat from further encroachment by local farming communities.”
Synonyms
02heraldry
n. a symbol of a lion shown walking and looking toward the viewer.
n. a lion represented in a walking position with its head turned toward the spectator.
“The king's shield featured a golden leopard on a red background.”
“In traditional English heraldry, the term leopard was often used to describe a lion in the passant guardant position rather than the biological feline.”
Technical
Usage
Used primarily in the study of coats of arms and historical emblems.
Synonyms
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 palang, Khwarezmian plyk, Sogdian [script needed] (pwrδnk), Pashto پړانګ (pṛāng). Compare Persian پلنگ (palang) and Sanskrit पृदाकु (pṛdāku, “panther”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
The word in film
The Leopard · 1963 · Drama
- Directed by:
- Luchino Visconti
- Starring:
- Alain Delon, Claudia Cardinale, Burt Lancaster
Luchino Visconti directed this historical drama about a powerful 19th-century Italian family whose noble status is represented by this wild cat. Burt Lancaster stars as an aging prince who realizes that his traditional way of life is slowly disappearing.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/leopard