leopard

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈlɛp.əd/ (UK); /ˈlɛp.ɚd/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

It is inherited from Middle English leopard, borrowed from Old French leupart,^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from Late Latin leōpardus,^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from Ancient Greek λεόπαρδος (leópardos),^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from Ancient Greek λέων (léōn, “lion”) + πάρδος (párdos, “panther, pard”),^{[2][3][4][5][6]} because the animal was thought in ancient times to be a hybrid of a lion and a panther.^[3][4][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

The large spotted cat of Africa and southern Asia (before 1300).^[3][7][4]

Semantic evolution

The modern spelling, from Late Latin, appears about 1330, replacing forms such as libbard and lypard.^[3][4] In heraldry the word was used for a lion passant guardant, as on the arms of England,^[7][4][6] and for a gold coin of Edward III bearing that figure (c. 1344).^[7][6] References to the leopard's inability to change its spots come from Jeremiah 13:23.^[4][7] The name was also applied to other big cats, such as the snow leopard and the hunting leopard or cheetah.^[7][2]

Timeline

• before 1300 – the animal.^[3][7][4]
• c. 1300 – in heraldry, a lion passant guardant.^[7]
• c. 1330 – the spelling leopard.^[3]
• 1382 – the leopard's unchangeable spots.^[7]
• 1490 – leopard fur.^[7]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. A large, powerful cat, Panthera pardus, of Africa and southern Asia, usually tawny with black rosette markings, sometimes black; a panther.
2. Any of several similar cats, such as the snow leopard or the cheetah.
3. The fur or pelt of the leopard.
4. (heraldry) A lion shown in side view with one forepaw raised and its head facing the viewer.

Word family

• leopardess
• clouded leopard
• leopard cat
• leopard frog

Related words

• camelopard
• pard
• panther
• lion

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c d e The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b c d e f g Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press