panda

noun

pan·​da ˈpan-də How to pronounce panda (audio)
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

Illustration of panda
  • A red panda
  • B panda 2

Examples of panda 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.
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 See all Example Sentences for panda 

Word History

Etymology

French, perhaps from a language of the southeast Himalayas

First Known Use

1834, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of panda was in 1834

Phrases Containing panda

Dictionary Entries Near panda

pand

panda

panda car

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Panda.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/panda. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.

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Kids Definition

panda

noun
pan·​da ˈpan-də How to pronounce panda (audio)
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

More from Merriam-Webster on panda

Nglish: Translation of panda for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of panda for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about panda

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