the cougar or puma, Felis concolor.
the leopard, Panthera pardus.
any leopard in the black color phase.
a very fierce person.
Military. Panther, a 43-ton (39-metric ton) German tank of World War II with a 75 mm gun as its main armament.
another name for the leopard, esp the black variety, which is known as the black panther
any of various related animals, esp the puma
First recorded before 1000; from Latin panthēra, from Greek pánthēr; replacing Middle English pantere (from Old French, from Latin ) and Old English pandher (from Latin )
First recorded in 1965–70
A panther is a large, black leopard. Panthers are related to the kitty purring in your lap, but they're ten times bigger. When most people think of a panther, they picture a black panther, which is really a leopard with an all-black coat. Strictly speaking, a panther can also be a puma, which is a brown cat that's similar in size to a jaguar. Panther is a Greek word meaning "leopard," and it became commonly (and confusingly) applied to both pumas and cougars in the 18th century.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The bathrooms are decorated with faux marble, and the image of a black panther with a yellow eye fixed on customers as they freshen up.
From Barron's • Dec. 22, 2025
But beneath Sophie’s polished facade lurks a yearning for danger symbolized by the panther tattoo on her thigh.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 24, 2025
Paul says he and a friend were travelling by train near Glenfinnan when they spotted what he describes as a melanistic leopard, also known as a black panther.
From BBC • Dec. 28, 2024
“He’s like a panther, like a killer. You don’t want to be bulky; you want to be sleek,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2024
My father says Mom has eyes like a hawk and ears like a panther.
From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen
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.
