panther

The word “panther” means a big cat with black fur, especially a black leopard or jaguar. In plain terms, a large wild cat, typically referring to a black-coated leopard, jaguar, or cougar.

“Panther” is pronounced PAN-thuh (/ˈpænθəɹ/ in IPA).

Here is “panther” used in a sentence: “A panther slipped silently through the jungle undergrowth.”

“Panther” is a noun.

The word “panther” comes from Latin. From Old French pantere, from Latin panthēra, from Greek pánthēr ("panther").

“Panther” is an uncommon word in modern English.

“Panther” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a big cat with black fur, especially a black leopard or jaguar.

"Panther" can refer generally to a big cat with black fur, especially a black leopard or jaguar, or in North America, to a cougar. "Black panther" specifically emphasizes the black-furred variant, which is a color form of leopards or jaguars rather than a separate species.

A panther is often the black-furred form of a leopard or jaguar rather than a distinct species of its own. The name "panther" is typically descriptive of the dark coloring rather than referring to a separate animal.

In North America, "panther" is sometimes used specifically for the cougar, particularly the Florida subspecies, rather than for a black leopard or jaguar. This regional usage differs from the more common association of "panther" with black big cats elsewhere.