panther

n. a large wild cat with black fur, usually a leopard or a jaguar.

n. a large felid, specifically a melanistic (black-coated) variant of a leopard or jaguar.

“The black panther moved silently through the dark trees of the jungle.”

“The documentary captured rare footage of a black panther stalking its prey through the dense undergrowth of the Malaysian rainforest.”

n. any of the big cats in the group that includes lions, tigers, and leopards.

n. any big cat belonging to the genus Panthera, which includes the lion, tiger, leopard, and jaguar.

“Scientists study the panther family to understand how big cats evolved.”

“Taxonomically, the term refers to any member of the genus Panthera, though in common parlance it is often restricted to melanistic individuals.”

Technical

n. a member of the Black Panther Party, a group that fought for the rights of Black people.

n. a member of the Black Panther Party, a revolutionary socialist political organisation founded in the United States.

“He read a book about what it was like to be a Panther in the 1960s.”

“The former Panther spoke at the university about the party's community survival programmes and their influence on civil rights history.”

American English

n. a magical cat-like creature from old stories that breathes fire.

n. a legendary creature in Greek mythology and heraldry, often depicted as a multi-coloured cat that breathes fire or sweet-smelling breath.

“The knight's shield was decorated with a colourful panther breathing flames.”

“In medieval bestiaries, the panther was described as a gentle beast whose fragrant breath attracted other animals.”

Literary · Archaic