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Synonyms

jaguar

American  
[jag-wahr, -yoo-ahr, jag-yoo-er] / ˈdʒæg wɑr, -yuˌɑr, ˈdʒæg yu ər /

noun

  1. a large spotted feline, Panthera onca, of tropical America, having a tawny coat with black rosettes: now greatly reduced in number and endangered in some areas.

jaguar British  
/ ˈdʒæɡjʊə /

noun

  1. a large feline mammal, Panthera onca, of S North America, Central America, and N South America, similar to the leopard but with a shorter tail and larger spots on its coat

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of jaguar

1595–1605; < Portuguese < Tupi jaguara

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The armor for this Batman took inspiration from Aztec eagle warriors and jaguar warriors, and integrated elements referencing the god Tzinacan.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2025

There’s no fishing, but wildlife sightings are common, including a very large cat — a black jaguar? — at water’s edge in early October.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 24, 2024

"The jaguar and the caybara were so curious. They didn't run."

From BBC • Oct. 11, 2024

When jaguar predators disappeared, capybaras were left alone to reproduce.

From Salon • Sep. 7, 2024

It had stopped ticking sometime when he went hunting for a jaguar during the several-hundred-mile journey to reach the River of Doubt.

From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.