Meanings
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1
noun
a black-coated leopard, or less often a black-coated jaguar
The camera trap recorded a black panther moving through the forest at night.
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2
noun
a cougar, especially the Florida panther or another regional population
A panther crossed the remote trail before dawn.
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3
noun
broadly, a large cat of the genus Panthera
The heraldic panther was depicted as a powerful and exotic beast.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Middle English pantere, through Old French and Latin panthera, from Ancient Greek panther ("panther"). The modern common name is applied variously to melanistic leopards or jaguars and, regionally, to cougars.