panther Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a large spotted feline of tropical America similar to the leopard; in some classifications considered a member of the genus Felis
    jaguar; Felis onca; Panthera onca.
  2. noun a leopard in the black color phase
  3. noun large American feline resembling a lion
    puma; Felis concolor; catamount; cougar; painter; mountain lion.

WordNet

Pan"ther noun
Etymology
OE. pantere, F. panthère, L. panthera, Gr. , prob. fr. Skr. pundrika a tiger.
Definitions
  1. (Zoöl.) A large dark-colored variety of the leopard, by some zoölogists considered a distinct species. It is marked with large ringlike spots, the centers of which are darker than the color of the body.
  2. (Zoöl.) In America, the name is applied to the puma, or cougar, and sometimes to the jaguar.

Webster 1913