Emily Dickinson Lexicon

leopard (-'s, -s), n. [OFr leopard.]

1. Big cat of the genus Panthera pardus; [fig.] wildness; fierceness; untamed energy; [metaphor] freedom; adventure; power; strength; quick movement; exotic danger.
2. Tawny spotted predator; four-legged creature that has yellow fur with black spots; [fig.] sun-spot; solar flare; dynamic display of golden sunset colors.
3. Panther; carnivorous feline; animal native to Africa and Southern Asia; [possible word play on “leper”] unclean being; quarantined individual; one that poses a threat to the safety of others.