leopard

The leopard (Panthera pardus is the current scientific name; it's been reclassified since the one given in the Webster 1913 entry) is the most widespread cat of the Old World -- it's found through large portions of Asia and Africa, in habitats from desert to riverside reed beds. (And, as Ernest Hemingway reminds us, one was even found dead at the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.)

Leopards are solitary and nocturnal. They like climbing trees, and dragging killed animals into them to keep scavengers away (a three-hundred pound giraffe carcass has been found high up in an acacia tree courtesy of a leopard). Most leopards are spotted for camouflage, but the black panther is just a dark-furred leopard, which can be born in the same litter as those with normal spots.

Leopards are endangered because their fur is valuable and because they need wild land with cover to live on.

A German-built main battle tank (MBT) in use by many NATO countries around the world, including Canada and Australia. The are a number of variants but the standard Leopard has a 105mm main armament and employs the use of spaced armour on the turret. A standard crew is 4, consisting of a commander, a loader, a gunner and a driver.

Leop"ard (?), n. [OE. leopart, leparde, lebarde, libbard, OF. leopard, liepart, F. l'eopard, L. leopardus, fr. Gr. ; lion + pard. See Lion, and Pard.] Zool.

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.

Hunting leopard. See Cheetah.

Leopard cat Zool. any one of several species or varieties of small, spotted cats found in Africa, Southern Asia, and the East Indies; esp., Felis Bengalensis. -- Leopard marmot. See Gopher, 2.

 

© Webster 1913.