leopard seal

noun

1. a yellowish-gray, spotted seal, Hydrurga leptonyx, of the Antarctic.

Word History and Origins

Origin of leopard seal¹

First recorded in 1890–95

Example Sentences

Matthew Smith captured a striking split image of a curious leopard seal beneath the Antarctic ice, using a custom extension he designed for his camera's underwater housing.

From BBC

Emperor penguins are an integral part of the Antarctic food chain, in which they prey upon squid and small fish and are preyed upon by larger predators like the leopard seal and killer whale.

From New York Times

On January 1, Orde-Lees was skiing near the edge of the floe when a twelve-foot-long, fanged leopard seal lunged up out of the water and began humping toward him at astonishing speed.

From Literature

Just as they were finishing, a leopard seal loomed through the mist, hunching itself across the ice.

From Literature

Later, as the men feasted on the dogs, Worsley commented that the piece he was eating had a better flavor than the leopard seal, and Hurley found it “exquisitely tender and flavorous.”

From Literature