panda

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun

n. a small, reddish-brown animal with a long tail that lives in the mountains of Asia.

n. a small arboreal mammal of the Himalayas and southwestern China, characterized by reddish-brown fur and a long, shaggy tail.

“A red panda was sleeping high up in the branches of the tree.”

“Taxonomically distinct from the giant panda, the red panda is the only living member of its own family, Ailuridae.”

C1 · Advanced Countable noun British English · Informal

n. a British name for a small police car, often painted in two colours.

n. a small, marked police patrol car. Colloquial in British English; the name derives from the original black-and-white colour scheme.

“A panda was parked at the corner of the street with its lights flashing.”

“The local constable arrived in a panda to investigate the minor traffic disturbance reported by the shopkeeper.”

C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Religion Technical

n. a priest in India who looks after a temple or a special place by a river.

n. a Brahmin who serves as the hereditary superintendent of a temple or a funeral ghat, often maintaining genealogical records for pilgrims.

“The family met with the panda to record their visit in the temple books.”

“The panda at the holy site assisted the pilgrims with the necessary rituals and updated their ancestral lineage in the ancient registers.”