panda

noun

pan·​da ˈpan-də 

1

: red panda

2

: a large black-and-white mammal (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) of chiefly central China that feeds primarily on bamboo shoots and is now usually classified with the bears (family Ursidae)

called also giant panda

Illustration of panda

• A red panda
• B panda 2

Examples of panda in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The bottom line: Business aside, the pandas are invaluable to D.C. —Anna Spiegel, Axios, 7 Jan. 2025

Yun Chuan, a 5-year-old male, and Xin Bao, a 4-year-old female, were the first pandas to be sent to the United States in two decades. —Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 1 Jan. 2025

The new pandas are not a permanent acquisition at all, but a loan—part of a complicated diplomatic ten-year agreement that includes a $1 million annual fee to China for conservation efforts. —Roger Catlin, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Dec. 2024

About 25 years ago, 126 pandas lived in captivity, and today there are more than 700. —Andrew Keatts, Axios, 21 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

French, perhaps from a language of the southeast Himalayas

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing panda

• giant panda
• lesser panda
• panda car
• red panda

Kids Definition

panda

noun

pan·​da ˈpan-də 

1

: red panda

2

: a large black and white mammal of chiefly central China that feeds primarily on bamboo shoots and is now usually considered to be closely related to the bears

called also giant panda