leopard

B2 Topic:Animals

US /ˈlɛp.ɚd/ UK /ˈlɛp.əd/ See IPA manual

Freq #9405

Meanings

1

noun
A large wild cat with a spotted coat, found in Africa and Asia.

The leopard dragged its kill up into a tree.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

pardpardal

Word family

Forms leopards

Derived forms cameleopardleopard-spermophileleopardessleopardineleopardlikeleopardlingleopardsbaneleopardskinleopardwoodleoponlipardpumapard

Related forms camelopardleoponpardpardal

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

snow leopard
a large mountain cat of central Asia with thick pale fur

Noun + noun

Proverbs (1)

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a leopard can't change its spots
A person's basic character cannot fundamentally change.

Simplified etymology

Leopard entered English in the Middle English period and ultimately combines Greek leōn, “lion,” with pardos, “leopard.” The second element also produced the old English word pard for a leopard.

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 [script needed] (palang), Khwarezmian [script needed] (plyk), Sogdian [script needed] (pwrδnk), Pashto پړانګ (pṛāng). Compare Persian پلنگ (palang) and Sanskrit पृदाकु (pṛdāku, “panther”).

leopard Middle English leopardus la-lat λεόπαρδος Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Animals

External links

# leopard

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈlɛp.ɚd/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈlɛp.əd/
**Frequency rank:** 9405

## Meanings
1. A large wild cat with a spotted coat, found in Africa and Asia.

## Examples
- The leopard dragged its kill up into a tree.

## Synonyms
- pard
- pardal

## Derived Forms
- cameleopard
- leopard-spermophile
- leopardess
- leopardine
- leopardlike
- leopardling
- leopardsbane
- leopardskin
- leopardwood
- leopon
- lipard
- pumapard

## Related Forms
- camelopard
- leopon
- pard
- pardal

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: leopard
- Root: leopardus
- Root: λεόπαρδος

## 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 [script needed] (palang), Khwarezmian [script needed] (plyk), Sogdian [script needed] (pwrδnk), Pashto پړانګ (pṛāng). Compare Persian پلنگ (palang) and Sanskrit पृदाकु (pṛdāku, “panther”).

## AI Etymology
Leopard comes 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 [script needed] (palang), Khwarezmian [script needed] (plyk), Sogdian [script needed] (pwrδnk), Pashto پړانګ (pṛāng). Compare Persian پلنگ (palang) and Sanskrit पृदाकु (pṛdāku, “panther”). The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern nominal form is built from the named base and affix.

## Topics
- Animals

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