leopard

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A large, ferocious cat (Panthera pardus) of Africa and southern Asia, having either tawny fur with dark rosettelike markings or black fur.
2. n. Any of several felines, such as the cheetah or the snow leopard.
3. n. The pelt or fur of this animal.
4. n. Heraldry A lion in side view, having one forepaw raised and the head facing the observer.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. The pard or panther, Felis pardus, the largest spotted cat of the Old World. It ranks third in size, strength, aud ferocity among the Old World Felidæ, being exceeded only by the lion aud tiger; but it is also inferior to the jaguar and cougar of America. The Himalayan ounce, Felis irbis, is about equal to it in size. A good-sized leopard is about 4 feet long without the tail, which is about 3 feet. The skull measures 9 inches in length by 5½ in breadth. The color is tawny, paler or whitish below, and nearly everywhere regularly and profusely spotted with black or blackish, the largest of these spots being ocellated or broken into rosettes. But the animal varies not less in color than in size. Some individuals are black, though even in these cases of melanism the characteristic studded pattern of coloration may be traced. The leopard is smooth-haired, without mane or beard, agile as well as sturdy, and of somewhat arboreal habits, like the jaguar and cougar. It inhabits wooded country throughout Africa and across Asia to Japan, Java, and some of the other islands, in this wide range running into many geographical varieties.
2. n. In heraldry, originally, a lion passant gardant. Thus, the three lions on the shield of England as it existed in the reign of Henry III. are spoken of as leopards. In later heraldry an attempt has been made to discriminate between the lion and the leopard, but the only tenable distinction is when the leopard is represented spotted, which is common in modern heraldry. The practical identity of the two bearings is shown in this, that a leopard rampant is said to be a leopard lionné, and a lion passant gardant is said to be a lion leopardé.
3. n. A gold coin, weighing from about 53 to 69 grains, struck by Edward III. and Edward the Black Prince of England, for circulation in France, and having on the obverse a lion passant gardant. In French heraldry this representation is described as a lion léopardé, whence the name of the coin.

Wiktionary

1. n. A large wild cat with a spotted coat, Panthera pardus, indigenous to Africa and Asia.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. (Zoöl.) A large, savage, carnivorous mammal (Felis leopardus). It is of a yellow or fawn color, with rings or roselike clusters of black spots along the back and sides. It is found in Southern Asia and Africa. By some the panther (Felis pardus) is regarded as a variety of leopard.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. the pelt of a leopard
2. n. large feline of African and Asian forests usually having a tawny coat with black spots