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

Mayor Muriel Bowser wasn't here this week to welcome the pandas. —Cuneyt Dil, Axios, 17 Oct. 2024

After the visit, Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai gifted two pandas to the American people. —Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024

The black and white duo are the first pandas China has sent to Washington in 24 years. —Nectar Gan, CNN, 14 Oct. 2024

Related Articles Mathews: These California pandas won’t pander if given a political voice Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Japanese organization of atomic bombing survivors Nihon Hidankyo Trump-Putin ties back in spotlight after new book Both sides can call on thousands of heavily armed gunmen. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 9 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