panda

Meaning

Noun

• The red panda (Ailurus fulgens), a small raccoon-like animal of northeast Asia with reddish fur and a long, ringed tail.
• A brahmin who acts as the hereditary superintendent of a particular ghat or temple, and is regarded as knowledgeable in matters of genealogy and ritual.

Origin

• ) + a regional Tibetan name for the animal (compare regional Tibetan ཕོ་ཉ).
• Attributive uses of sense 2 (“giant panda”) generally refer to that animal’s distinctive black and white coat colour.
• Borrowed from Hindi पंडा and Punjabi ਪਾਂਡਾ, both from Sanskrit पण्डित. pundit.