panther
n. countablen. a large, powerful wild cat with dark fur, usually a black leopard or jaguar. People often use the name to describe these animals when they look completely black.
n. a large feline of the genus Panthera, most commonly referring to a melanistic (black) leopard or jaguar. The term is also used regionally in North America to describe the cougar or mountain lion.
The black panther moved silently through the dark jungle.
Wildlife photographers spent weeks in the rainforest hoping to capture a rare glimpse of a black panther.
The term panther does not refer to a distinct species but rather serves as a broad designation for several large cats exhibiting a dark pigment mutation known as melanism.
Often used as a general term for any large black cat rather than a specific biological species.