leopard

IPA/ˈlepəd/
KK[lˈɛpɚd]IPA/ˈlepərd/

leopard — noun

  • leopardsingular
  • leopardsplural

1. a powerful wild cat native to much of Africa as well as parts of southern Asia,

1.名詞B1
釋義

a powerful wild cat native to much of Africa as well as parts of southern Asia, with a golden or yellow-brown coat marked by ring-shaped black spots, and known for climbing trees.

例句

Noa watched a leopard rest on a tall branch above the dry river.

typical scene: leopard resting in a tree

The leopard moved silently through the long grass towards a young deer.

collocation: leopard moves through grass / hunts prey

同義詞
  • panther

    in some regions used for a black-coated leopard; not a true separate species

  • big cat

    general term covering leopards, tigers, lions, and similar

文法句型

a leopard

leopards

用法筆記

Often used in nature, travel, and conservation contexts. The plural 'leopards' is used for the species in general; the singular with 'a' or 'the' is used for one animal in a scene.

常見錯誤

❌I saw a leopard with brown lines on its back.
✅I saw a leopard with brown spots on its back.
💡A leopard has spots, not lines or stripes (those belong to a tiger).
❌A leopard lives in the jungle of South America.
✅A leopard lives in parts of Africa and southern Asia.
💡Leopards live in Africa and southern Asia, not South America (the spotted big cat in the Americas is the jaguar).

2. the spotted skin or hair taken from a leopard, used long ago for coats, rugs, or

2.名詞B2
釋義

the spotted skin or hair taken from a leopard, used long ago for coats, rugs, or wall decorations, and now mostly banned in many countries to protect the animal.

例句

An old leopard rug from the 1920s lay on the floor of Quinn's grandfather's study.

antique context: old leopard rug

In most countries today, it is illegal to import or sell real leopard.

register: legal / conservation, headword as uncountable material

同義詞
  • leopard skin

    more explicit; emphasises that it is the animal's hide

  • leopard fur

    focuses on the hair rather than the whole hide

文法句型

leopard coat

leopard rug

wearing leopard

用法筆記

Distinct from sense 1 (the living animal). Here the word names the material — fur and skin — and is usually uncountable. Often appears before another noun, as in 'leopard coat' or 'leopard rug'. Note that 'leopard print', meaning a pattern that copies the spots, is different — it does not require any real animal.

常見錯誤

❌She wore a leopard skirt to the party.
✅She wore a leopard-print skirt to the party.
💡In modern English, clothing with the spotted pattern is described as 'leopard-print', because the cloth only copies the pattern; 'leopard' on its own suggests real fur.