leopardn.
/ˈlɛpəd/, U.S. /ˈlɛpərd/ 1.
a. A large carnivorous quadruped, Felis pardus, otherwise called the Panther, a native of Africa and southern Asia. Its coat is yellowish fawn shading to white under the body, with dark brown or black rosette-like spots. (In popular language, the name is often restricted to the smaller varieties of the species, the larger being called panthers.) black leopard, a black-coated variety of the leopard, formerly regarded as a distinct species, found in Southern India and the Malay peninsula, Java, etc.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Felidae (feline) > [noun] > genus Panthera > panthera pardus (leopard or panther)
pantherOE
pardOE
leoparda1290
catamountain?a1475
pardal1553
tiger1604
mountain cat1625
catamount1664
pardalis1687
black panther1789
guepard1882
α.
β. a1290 S. Eustace 410 in Horstm. Altengl. Leg. (1881) 219 Liouns and leuparz..And bestes suiþe fel[l]e.1340 Ayenbite (1866) 14 Vor þet bodi of þe bestes wes ase lipard.a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden Polychron. (St. John's Cambr.) (1865) I. 159 Camelion is..in colour liche to a lupard.a1400 (a1325) Cursor Mundi (Vesp.) l. 11638 Moder, he said, haf þou na ward, Noþer o leon ne o lepard [Gött. lippard].c1405 (c1385) G. Chaucer Knight's Tale (Hengwrt) (2003) l. 1328 Aboute this kyng ther ran on euery part Ful many a tame leoun and leopart.c1430 J. Lydgate Reson & Sensuallyte (E.E.T.S.) 3249 I wot..thou woldest twynne And fle from hir..As doth an hare the lyppart.1481 W. Caxton tr. Hist. Reynard Fox (1970) 50 Tho spack sir firapeel the lupaerd whiche was sybbe somwhat to the kynge.1483 W. Caxton tr. J. de Voragine Golden Legende 416/1 There was a lyeparte there aboutes whiche destroyed the people of the contre.a1500 (?c1450) Merlin xix. 304 In that londe is the wolf that the lupart shall bynde.1535 Bible (Coverdale) Ecclus. xxviii. 23 It shal..deuoure them as a leparde.1635 J. Swan Speculum Mundi ix. §1. 442 The Panther is a beast little differing from a Leopard or Libbard.γ. 13.. K. Alis. 5228 Vnces grete, and leopardes.1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. xv. 93 Ac þere ne was lyoun ne leopart þat on laundes wenten..Þat ne fel to her feet.a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus De Proprietatibus Rerum (BL Add. 27944) (1975) II. xviii. xxii. 1161 Þe leoparde drynkeþ mylke of þe wilde goote.a1500 (?c1450) Merlin xix. 304 Is not the leopart more of strength than is the wolf.1535 Bible (Coverdale) Prov. xxvi. B The slouthfull sayeth: there is a leoparde in ye waye.a1616 W. Shakespeare Timon of Athens (1623) iv. iii. 342 Wert thou a Leopard, thou wert Germane to the Lion, and the spottes of thy Kindred, were Iurors on thy life. View more context for this quotation1744 J. Thomson Summer in Seasons (new ed.) 92 The lively-shining Leopard, speckled o'er With many a Spot, the Beauty of the Waste.1834 T. Pringle Afr. Sketches viii. 246 The South-African leopard differs from the panther..in the form of its spots.c1330 R. Mannyng Chron. Wace (Rolls) 13795 Was neuere lubard ne lyoun..þat was so wod.
c1386 G. Chaucer Monk's Tale 271 Leons, leopardes [v.r. lebardis, luperdes] and Beres.
a1400 Coer de L. 2182 Then answered Kyng Richard, In deed lyon, in thought libbard.
a1400 Isumbras 189 A labarde ther com and tuk that othir.
c1440 Promptorium Parvulorum 291/2 Labbarde (K., S., P. lebbard), leopardus.
c1440 Gesta Romanorum (Harl.) i. lx. 246 A litle Ile, fulle of liounes, leberdes, berys, and oþere wylde bestes.
1531 T. Elyot Bk. named Gouernour i. xviii. sig. Jvii In the vacation season from warres, they hunted lions, liberdes, & suche other bestis.
a1599 E. Spenser Canto Mutabilitie vii. xxix, in Faerie Queene (1609) sig. Ii2 He in forrest greene Had hunted late the Libbard or the Bore.
1613 S. Purchas Pilgrimage vi. i. 466 The Libard is not hurtfull to men except they annoy him: but killeth and eateth Dogges.
1635 J. Swan Speculum Mundi ix. §1. 442 There is no Leopard or Libbard, but such as is begotten between the Lion and the Panther, or the Panther and the Lionesse.
1785 W. Cowper Task vi. 773 The lion, and the libbard, and the bear, Graze with the fearless flocks.
1820 J. Keats Lamia ii, in Lamia & Other Poems 38 Twelve sphered tables..rear'd On libbard's paws.
b. Applied to other animals of the genus Felis, as American leopard n. the jaguar, F. onca. hunting leopard n. the cheetah (see hunting leopard n. at hunting n. Compounds 2). snow leopard n. the ounce, F. irbis.
2. With reference to its spotted coat, as a type of unchangeableness, after Jeremiah xiii. 23.
ΘΚΠ
the world > time > change > absence of change, changelessness > [noun] > something unchanging
leopard1382
the law of the Medes and Persiansc1384
constant1832
hardcore1916
invariance1939
invariant1939
facticity1964
1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) Pref. Epist. Jerome vii. 71/1 [Mentions Jeremiah's allusion to] the leparde spuylide his colours.
1560 Bible (Geneva) Jer. xiii. 23 Can the blacke More change his skin? or the leopard his spottes?
1597 W. Shakespeare Richard II i. i. 174 Lions make Leopards tame. View more context for this quotation
1624 Bp. F. White Replie to Iesuit Fishers Answere 573 They haue washed off their Libbards spots.
1631 R. Brathwait Eng. Gentlewoman 68 The Blackmoore may sooner change his skin, the Leopard his spots.
1920 New Statesman Apr. 20/1 For the moment the public is not likely to get a thorough grounding in economics, nor does the Press leopard show any signs of changing his spots.
1930 D. Jerrold Lie about War 35 As for the leopard who failed to change his spots, why blame the war?
1955 W. Gaddis Recognitions ii. v. 487 You wanted to marry a Christian, you wanted to marry a good Catholic. Well leopards can't change their spots.
1972 G. Oakley Church Mouse 20/2 The schoolmouse..said that..Sampson was a leopard in sheep's clothing and that a wolf couldn't change its spots.
1973 Times 21 Nov. 19/8 There is no evidence to show that the Communist Party leopard has changed its spots.
3. † d. The leopard's (i.e. lion's) head seems to have been used as an assay-mark for silver. Obsolete.
a. A figure of a leopard in painting, heraldry, etc.
ΚΠ
?a1366 Romaunt Rose 894 With briddes, lybardes, & lyouns, And othir beastis wrought ful welle.
a1400 Coer de L. 5121 Many wer the fayre geste Theron were wryten, and wylde beste, Tygrys, dragons, leons, lupard.
1523 J. Skelton Goodly Garlande of Laurell 590 Wheron stood a lybbard crownyd with golde and stones.
c1540 (?a1400) Destr. Troy 1573 And all of marbill was made with meruellus bestes, Of lions & Libardes & other laithe wormes.
1598 W. Shakespeare Love's Labour's Lost v. ii. 551 With Libbards head on knee. View more context for this quotation
b. Heraldry. A lion passant guardant [French lion léopardé] , as in the Arms of England.
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society > communication > indication > insignia > heraldic devices collective > heraldic representations of creatures > [noun] > animals
boar1297
leopardc1330
lionc1330
lionceauc1450
unicornc1450
talbot1491
porcupine?a1549
musion1572
tiger1572
lyam-hound1591
coney1598
lioncel1610
lion-leopard1612
lionel1661
marcassin1727
c1300 Siege of Carlaverock (1828) 22 En sa baniere trois luparte.]
c1330 R. Mannyng Chron. (1810) 305 Þei sauh kynge's banere, raumpand þre lebardes.
1475 Bk. Noblesse 24 The said King Henry the seconde bare in armes frome that day forthe the saide libarde of gold withe the other two libardis of the same that is borne for Duke of Normandie.
1525 Ld. Berners tr. J. Froissart Cronycles II. ccii. [cxcviii.] 623 He lefte the beryng of the Armes of Englande, or the lybardes, and flour delyces quarterly.
1614 J. Selden Titles of Honor In royal blazonry leopards and lions were synonymous terms, and used indifferently.
1815 W. Scott Lord of Isles vi. xxxv. 270 Though ne'er the leopards on thy shield Retreated from so sad a field, Since Norman William came.
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c. A gold coin, having on the obverse a lion passant guardant, struck by Edward III, c1344, and by the Black Prince, for circulation in France.In the proclamation authorizing its issue 18 Edw. III, it is called ‘a gold coin with one leopard’, and is stated to be of the value of a florin of Florence. A coin called leopardus auri is mentioned in a monastic document of Bordeaux dated by Du Cange a1305; but the date may be an error.
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society > communication > indication > marking > mark of quality > [noun] > on gold or silver > specific
leopard's (i.e. lion's) head1423
1423 Rolls of Parl. IV. 257/1 That no Goldsmyth..nor other Man that worketh Selver Hernois, put noon therof to the sale..or that it be touched wyth the touche of the Liberdisheed.
4.
a. The fur of the leopard. Also, the skin of the leopard; a coat made from this.
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society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > skin or hide > skin with hair attached or fur > [noun] > of leopard
leopard1490
leopard skin1589
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > clothing for body or trunk (and limbs) > [noun] > coat > types of > made of specific material
skin coat1533
buff1598
buff coat1633
hair-camlet1676
duffel1852
Guernsey coat1859
rabbit1877
polo coat1880
lammy coat1916
sheepskin1917
teddy bear1925
ranch mink1934
Persian1957
Persian lamb1959
leathers1962
leopard1973
Afghan1974
sable1975
squirrel1978
1490 Will of Thomas Peyton (P.R.O.: PROB. 11/8) f. 313v Gown..furred wt lybbards.
1506 in J. B. Paul Accts. Treasurer Scotl. (1901) III. 249 It [ane cote] was lynyt with leopardis.
1924 Vogue early Sept. 42 (caption) Even smarter..is a suède coat lined and trimmed with leopard.
1930 M. Bachrach Fur xv. 197 All Leopards are open-handled and..there is very little natural grease on the skin.
1938 M. Bachrach Selling Furs Successfully ix. 91 It is preferable when manufacturing Leopards into garments that as few seams as possible show after the garments are finished.
1951 R. T. Wilcox Mode in Furs vii. 157 Such peltries as bear, lynx, fox, wolf and goat were popular though lamb, civet cat and leopard are noted too [in the early 20th century].
1951 R. T. Wilcox Mode in Furs vii. 208 (caption) Hooded circular cape of Somali leopard.
1973 ‘E. McBain’ Let's hear It iii. 44 ‘My good jewelry..[has] gone.’ ‘Anything else?’ ‘Two furs. A leopard and an otter.’
b. attributive or quasi-adj. Made of leopard skin or material resembling leopard skin.
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society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > skin or hide > skin with hair attached or fur > [adjective] > made of specific fur or pelt
miniverc1400
ostrich skin1494
budgy1598
sealskinned1599
sealskin1769
leopard1772
marmot1865
leopard skin1895
monkeyc1896
nutria1920
1772 Town & Country Mag. 71 To consult about the cut of his next coat, or the trimming of his next leopard sourtout.
1938 M. Bachrach Selling Furs Successfully ix. 100 ‘This Leopard coat is rather heavy’ is sometimes remarked by customers.
1951 R. T. Wilcox Mode in Furs vii. 199 (caption) Leopard jacket belted with dark blue antelope—leopard gloves with antelope palms.
1958 Listener 28 Aug. 316/3 Scowling Continental ‘helps’ in leopard slacks.
1974 Times 11 Nov. 28/7 1 sable, skins worked down; 1 absolutely beautiful dark leopard coat. Both made by top furriers.
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5. sea leopard n. = leopard-seal n. at Compounds 4: see sea n.
Compounds
C1. General attributive.
leopard skin n. and adj.
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society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > skin or hide > skin with hair attached or fur > [noun] > of leopard
leopard1490
leopard skin1589
society > occupation and work > materials > raw material > skin or hide > skin with hair attached or fur > [adjective] > made of specific fur or pelt
miniverc1400
ostrich skin1494
budgy1598
sealskinned1599
sealskin1769
leopard1772
marmot1865
leopard skin1895
monkeyc1896
nutria1920
1589 A. Jenkinson in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations i. 81 Coates of the Turkes fashion, of Libard skinnes.
1739 Will in J. O. Payne Rec. Eng. Catholics (1889) 55 My leopard-skin saddle trimmed with gold fringe.
1895 F. B. Workman & W. H. Workman Algerian Mem. x. 93 Besides the oasis of Biskra..a number of others were visible, the dark colour of which, contrasting with the lighter hues of the plain, gave the leopard-skin appearance.
1929 E. Sitwell Gold Coast Customs 8 Courie shells..outline The leopardskin musty Leaves.
1975 Times 25 Feb. 6/7 Bagpipers of the Royal [Nepalese] Army in leopard-skin gaiters.
leopard spot n.
ΚΠ
1939 T. S. Eliot Old Possum's Bk. Pract. Cats 13 Her coat is of the tabby kind, with tiger stripes and leopard spots.
1972 Times 23 Nov. 8/2 The presence of communist cadres within Government-held areas could produce more ‘leopard spots’, to use the accepted phrase, than the map [of S. Vietnam] suggests.
leopard whelp n.
ΚΠ
1884 J. A. Symonds Shakspere's Predecessors vii. §3. 262 She..led lyric poetry, like a tamed leopard-whelp.
C2.
leopard-coloured adj.
ΚΠ
1847 R. W. Emerson Poems 73 Gayest pictures rose to win me, Leopard-coloured rills.
1889 W. B. Yeats Wanderings of Oisin 78 Or in autumnal solitudes Arise the leopard-coloured trees.
leopard-like adj.
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the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Felidae (feline) > [adjective] > of or characteristic of a leopard or panther
leopard-like1611
leopardine1641
pantherine1656
pardine1859
pantherish1869
1611 R. Cotgrave Dict. French & Eng. Tongues Leopardé, libbard-like.
1647 N. Ward Simple Cobler Aggawam 5 The Religion of that place was but motly and meagre, their affections Leopard-like.
leopard-spotted adj.
ΚΠ
1931 V. Woolf Waves 239 Different lights fall, making the ordinary leopard-spotted and strange.
C3.
leopard-man n. one who has charge of a leopard; a member of a leopard society (see below).
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the world > food and drink > farming > animal husbandry > keeping or breeding other animals > [noun] > keeper or tamer of wild beasts
bearward1179
leopard-man1390
masterc1425
bear-leader1503
bearherd1590
bear warden1740
lion-tamer1798
lion-keepera1843
society > society and the community > social relations > an association, society, or organization > secret society > [noun] > other secret societies > member of
Ribbonman1813
Ribandman1817
ribandist1824
apostle1829
Molly Maguire1844
Molly Maguireite1853
Camorrist1863
mafioso1875
Black Hander1905
Molly1917
leopard-man1929
Mafiaist1948
mafiosa1965
1390–1 Earl Derby's Exped. (Camden) 257 Item pro lecto, vino, candelis et pro aliis expensis, per le libardman ibidem, j scut.
1929 F. W. Butt-Thompson W. Afr. Secret Soc. xiv. 283 Tongo-players, the Sierra Leonean society..said to have been started about the Eighties..as an organisation of leopard-men hunters.
1936 G. Griffin tr. Schebesta My Pygmy & Negro Hosts iv. 67 I think that I have been the first to obtain any detailed information about these ‘Anyoto’—the dreadful ‘leopard-men’.
1973 G. Gale in Johnson & Gale Highland Jaunt ii. iv. 143 He now was happy..telling the bar about the Leopard Men in West Africa.
leopard society n. /liˈopad soˌsaiɛti/ in West Africa, a native secret society whose members dress as leopards and attack their victims in the manner of leopards.
Brit. /ˈlɛpəd səˌsʌɪəti/
, /ˈlɛpəd səˌsʌɪəti/U.S. /ˈlɛpərd səˌsaɪədi/
, /ˈlɛpərd səˌsaɪədi/West African English /ˈlɛpad soˌsaiɛti/
, /ˈlɛpad soˌsaiɛti//liˈopad soˌsaiɛti/ΘΚΠ
society > society and the community > social relations > an association, society, or organization > secret society > [noun] > other secret societies
camorra1865
the Mafia1866
Unione Siciliana1906
Black Hand1912
leopard society1915
Broederbond1935
Union Corse1963
'ndrangheta1978
1915 K. J. Beatty Human Leopards i. 6 To deal with this extraordinary class of crime the Government of the Colony of Sierra Leone decided that drastic and exceptional legislation was necessary, and a Bill entitled the Human Leopard Society Ordinance, 1895, was introduced and passed.
1929 F. W. Butt-Thompson W. Afr. Secret Soc. i. 20 Most of the criminal associations are ‘animal’ societies... They include Alligator, Baboon, Boa, Leopard, Panther societies.
1968 Encycl. Brit. XIII. 975/2 There were many leopard societies, of which the most renowned was the anyota society of the Bali tribe, eastern Congo.
C4. in the names of animals, etc. spotted or marked like the leopard.
leopard cat n. (a) the African wild cat, Felis Serval; (b) the wild cat of India and the Malay Archipelago, F. bengalensis; (c) the American ocelot, F. pardalis.
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the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Felidae (feline) > [noun] > genus Felis > felis serval (serval)
leopard cat1773
serval1775
bush-cat1780
the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > family Felidae (feline) > [noun] > genus Felis > other types of
margay1775
pampas cat1827
marbled cat1840
golden cat1871
leopard cat1884
1773 Gentleman's Mag. 43 219 The Leopard Cat.
1863 J. H. Speke Jrnl. Discov. Source Nile 273 A..young man, who had the skin of a leopard-cat..tied round his neck.
1884 Riverside Nat. Hist. (1888) V. 459 The Leopard Cat (Felis bengalensis) is either very variable in color and markings, or there are, as enumerated by Dr. Gray, four or five distinct species.
leopard frog n. U.S. a green frog with black markings, Rana pipiens; also called spring frog and grass frog.
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the world > animals > amphibians > order Anura or Salienta (frogs and toads) > [noun] > types of frog or toad > suborder Diplasiocoela > family Ranidae (common frogs) > rana pipiens (leopard frog)
bullfrog1704
bull-toad1806
leopard frog1839
1839 D. H. Storer in Storer & Peabody Rep. Fishes, Reptiles & Birds Mass. 237 Rana halecina..[is] better known in this state as the leopard frog from its ocellated appearance.
1840 H. D. Thoreau Jrnl. 16 June (1981) I. 129 Twelve hours of genial and familiar converse with the leopard frog.
1901 Chambers's Encycl. V. 13/1 Widely distributed in the United States are two forms—the Shad- or Leopard-frog (Rana halecina) and the Wood-frog (R. sylvatica).
1948 Sierra Club Bull. (San Francisco) Mar. 140 Migration is a part of the story of the American merganser, hibernation of the leopard frog.
1973 Sci. Amer. Oct. 26/3 The leopard frog (Rana pipiens) is particularly susceptible to a kidney carcinoma.
leopard lily n. originally U.S. a name used for several spotted lilies, esp. Lilium pardalinum (cf. panther lily n. at panther n. Compounds 2).
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the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular cultivated or ornamental plants > particular flower or plant esteemed for flower > [noun] > lily and allied flowers > lilies
lily971
lily-flower1340
martagon1440
delucea1450
red lily1531
purple lily1578
mountain lily1597
gold lily1629
Turk's cap1672
turn-cap1688
Juno's rose1706
orange lily1731
Canada lily1771
Japan lily1813
tiger-lily1824
Annunciation lily1853
Easter lily1860
golden-rayed lily1865
scarlet martagon1867
Japanese lily1870
Madonna lily1877
Bermuda lily1882
thimble lily1883
panther lily1884
triplet lily1884
turban-lily1884
Mary-lily1893
tiger1901
leopard lily1902
lilium1902
swamp lily1902
Washington lily1911
Shasta lily1915
regal lily1916
regale1920
Oregon lily1925
1902 Out West Sept. 349 The leopard-lily lights the heather dun.
1938 J. H. McFarland et al. Garden Bulbs 136 Lilium pardalinum. Sometimes called the Western Tiger Lily, this highly esteemed California native also has the common names of Leopard Lily and Panther Lily.
1949 H. Moldenke Amer. Wild Flowers 323 A great favorite of the Southeast is the leopard lily or pine lily, L. catesbaei, found in pinelands and acid swamps on the coastal plain from North Carolina to Florida and Louisiana.
1969 R. Hay & P. M. Synge Dict. Garden Plants 318/2 [Lilium]pardalinum Leopard Lily. Summer. Fl[ower] turkscap, orange flushed and spotted with red or maroon, pendulous.
leopard-mackerel n. a scombrid fish, Scomber leopardus Shaw, Cybium interruptum Cuvier, common in India.
ΚΠ
1862 H. Beveridge Comprehensive Hist. India I. Introd. 12 The leopard-mackerel and the mango fish.
leopard moth n. a collector's name for a large white black-spotted moth, Zeuzera æsculi or Z. pyrina.
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the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > Heterocera > [noun] > family Cossidae > zeuzera aesculi or pyrina (leopard moth)
leopard moth1819
wood-leopard1819
1819 G. Samouelle Entomologist's Compend. 246 Zeuzera Æsculi (wood leopard~moth).
1870 J. R. S. Clifford in Eng. Mech. 21 Jan. 449/3 A memorable wood-boring..caterpillar is that of the Leopard Moth (Zeuzera Æsculi).
leopard-seal n. (see quot.).
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the world > animals > mammals > group Unguiculata or clawed mammal > order Pinnipedia (seal, sea lion, or walrus) > [noun] > family Phocidae > genus Hydrurga (leopard-seal)
sea-leopard1664
leopard-seal1894
sea leopard-
1894 R. Lydekker Royal Nat. Hist. II. 142 The leopard-seal (Ogmorhinus leptonyx) may be taken as the best known representative of four genera confined to the Southern and Antarctic Seas... The leopard-seal or, as it is often called, the sea-leopard.
leopard-shell n. (see quot.).
ΚΠ
1712 Philos. Trans. 1710–12 (Royal Soc.) 27 350 A neat Rhombus, spotted with black and white, call'd therefore by some the Leopard Shell.
leopard-spotted goby n. a small brown goby with orange spots, Gobius forsteri, found close to the shore in parts of the western coast of Britain and France.
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the world > animals > fish > superorder Acanthopterygii (spiny fins) > order Perciformes (perches) > [noun] > suborder Gobioidei > family Gobiidae > member of genus Gobius
gudgeonc1425
black goby1769
pollywog1836
leopard-spotted goby1959
1959 A. Hardy Fish & Fisheries x. 212 Mr. P. G. Corbin..is naming it after its discoverer, Gobius forsteri; it will also be known by the English name of leopard-spotted goby.
1971 Nature 30 Apr. 581/1 Closer examination should reveal the presence of the leopard-spotted goby along the Scottish west coast.
leopard-tortoise n. Testudo pardalis.
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the world > animals > reptiles > order Chelonia (turtles and tortoises) > [noun] > suborder Cryptodira > family Testudinae > geochelone pardalis (mountain tortoise)
mountain tortoise1879
leopard-tortoise1880
1880 Cassell's Nat. Hist. IV. 252 The Ethiopian region of natural history has the greatest number of species of Tortoises, and the Leopard Tortoise (Testudo pardalis),..and the little Geometric Tortoise are familiar examples.
leopard-tree n. Australian a name for either of two species of Flindersia, F. maculosa or F. collina; also used for the South American tree Cæsalpinia ferrea.
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the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > non-British trees or shrubs > Australasian trees > [noun] > names applied to various Australasian species
pepper tree1773
apple tree1801
white boxc1830
Christmas tree1844
mapau1853
maple1858
leopard-wood1859
red ash1863
sycamore1866
New Zealand orange tree1898
five-finger1926
leopard-tree1927
maple1934
1927 M. M. Bennett Christison iv. 50 A seared and contorted leopard-tree.
1927 Austral. Encycl. I. 474/2 F[lindersia] maculosa (Leopard Tree, so called from its spotted trunk) is a small tree (20–30 feet), found in the dry interior.
1933 Bulletin (Sydney) 20 Sept. 20/2 The leopard tree starts as a straggly, spiny bush, from the centre of which the stem shoots up.
1965 Austral. Encycl. V. 288/2 Leopard-tree, a name used for two species of Flindersia—the graceful inland F. maculosa, which has spotted bark, and the tall rain-forest species F. collina (broad~leaved leopard tree or leopard ash). The South American tree Caesalpinia ferrea, much grown as an ornamental flowering and shade tree in coastal Queensland, is also called leopard-tree and leopard-wood.
leopard-wood n. (a) the wood of a South American tree, Brosimum Aubletii; (b) Australian = leopard-tree n.
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the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > non-British trees or shrubs > Australasian trees > [noun] > names applied to various Australasian species
pepper tree1773
apple tree1801
white boxc1830
Christmas tree1844
mapau1853
maple1858
leopard-wood1859
red ash1863
sycamore1866
New Zealand orange tree1898
five-finger1926
leopard-tree1927
maple1934
1859 M. I. O. Gascoigne Handbk. Turning (new ed.) 41 Partridge and leopard woods.
1888 F. M. Bailey Queensland Woods 76 F[lindersia] maculosa... Spotted tree or leopard-wood... Wood bright yellow, nicely marked.
1911 C. E. W. Bean ‘Dreadnought’ of Darling xv. 140 It seems a wonder that Australians on the coast do not make a much bigger use of these delicate Western trees for their gardens, especially the leopard-wood.
1936 F. Clune Roaming round Darling xviii. 177 Spotted a splendid leopard-wood, reputed to attract lightning more than any other tree.
Draft additions December 2018
leopard print n. and adj. (a) n. a pattern, motif, etc., resembling the spotted coat of a leopard; (also) a fabric, garment, etc., bearing such a design; (b) adj. designating any of various products, esp. textile fabrics, garments, etc., having this design.
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1924 Kingston (N.Y.) Daily Freeman 8 Sept. 8/3 Leopard print on foulard instead of on velvet, as it has been seen, is used by Chanel for dresses and coat linings.
1932 N.Y. Times 20 Apr. 4 (advt.) This leopard print suit..comes in brown or navy with pink, or brown with blue.
1960 Odessa (Texas) Amer. 2 Oct. 16/7 The rage for leopard prints has invaded nearly every field of fashion this fall.
1998 E. Santiago Almost Woman 193 A mass of golden curls held back with a leopard print chiffon scarf.
2018 Daily Mirror (Nexis) 20 Mar. 22 Actress Jessie Wallace is back in her lippy and leopard print for her EastEnders role on Thursday.
Draft additions June 2020
leopard seal n. a large grey seal of the Antarctic, Hydrurga leptonyx, which has a speckled coat and feeds to a large extent on penguins and other seals.
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1834 W. H. B. Webster Narr. Voy. to S. Atlantic Ocean II. App. 303 The leopard-seal has been mentioned in the body of the work.
1930 W. M. Mann Wild Animals in & out of Zoo viii. 123 The true seals, of which we have had the leopard seal (Phoca richardii) and the San Geronimo harbor seal (Phoca richardii geronimensis) from the Pacific coast..do very well in captivity.
2003 New Yorker 3 Feb. 69/3 He advised me to get out of the water quickly if I saw a leopard seal or an orca.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1902; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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