jaguar

noun

jag·​uar ˈja-ˌgwär How to pronounce jaguar (audio) -gyə-ˌwär How to pronounce jaguar (audio)
-gwər;
 dialectal  -gwī(-ə)r,
 especially British  ˈja-gyə-wər
plural jaguars also jaguar
: a large cat (Panthera onca) chiefly of Central and South America that is larger and stockier than the leopard and is brownish yellow or buff with black spots

Illustration of jaguar

Illustration of jaguar

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The jaguar is the largest New World cat. It was once found in wooded regions from the U.S.-Mexican border south to Patagonia, Currently, the jaguar survives, in reduced numbers, only in remote areas of Central and South America; the largest known population is in the Amazon rain forest. The male is 5.5-9.0 ft. (1.7-2.7 m) long, including the tail, which measures 23-35-in. (60-90-cm) long, and weighs 220-350 lbs. (100-160 kg). The coat is typically orange-tan with black spots arranged in rosettes with a black spot in the center. A solitary predator, the jaguar usually hunts rodents, deer, birds, and fish; it will also take cattle, horses, and dogs.

Examples of jaguar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Cancer and jaguars are totally different beasts and Ed and Bruce climbed different trees this time. Outside Online, 4 Dec. 2024 The wall could deplete populations of species like black bears, which are near the southern edge of their range in the Sky Islands, or jaguars at the northern edge of theirs. Brandon Loomis, The Arizona Republic, 27 Nov. 2024 Quick Read Deep Read ( 4 Min. ) La Negra, a jaguar, paces and hisses in her cage at a remote environmental observatory in the lush jungle of southwestern Colombia. Mie Hoejris Dahl, The Christian Science Monitor, 26 Nov. 2024 Directed by Nick Powell, this pulpy thriller follows Frank Walsh (Cage), a big-game hunter and exotic animal collector who is transporting a collection of rare and dangerous creatures on a cargo ship, which includes a lethal white jaguar that will net a fortune. Travis Bean, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for jaguar 

Word History

Etymology

Portuguese, from Tupi jawára large carnivore

First Known Use

1604, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of jaguar was in 1604

Dictionary Entries Near jaguar

Cite this Entry

“Jaguar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jaguar. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

jaguar

noun
jag·​uar ˈjag(-yə)-ˌwär How to pronounce jaguar (audio)
: a large yellowish brown black-spotted cat of tropical America that is larger and has a more solid build than the leopard

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