panda

noun

pan·​da ˈpan-də How to pronounce panda (audio)
1
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.
These two pandas were born in August 2024 at the Lincoln Children’s Zoo in Nebraska with their sister, Juniper. Kristi Miller, Twin Cities, 28 May 2025 Listen to our deep dive episode on panda diplomacy here. Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 27 Jan. 2025 Creator 3-in-1 Wild Animals Panda Family Kids and adults will love building and rebuilding this three-in-one set, which can be assembled into a panda bear eating bamboo with its cub, an orca swimming with its calf, and a penguin with its chick. Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 24 May 2025 Three-year-old pandas Bao Li and Qing Bao are set to remain in D.C. for 10 years – long enough to win the hearts and minds of millions of zoo visitors. John M. Kinder, The Conversation, 1 May 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Panda.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/panda. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

panda

noun
pan·​da ˈpan-də How to pronounce panda (audio)
1
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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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