Dictionary

a leopard cannot change its spots en · X

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Ultimately from Jeremiah 13:23.

Meanings

1. One cannot change one's own nature.
   • End now all unkindness. Let us put the Jew to ransom, since the leopard will not change his spots, and a Jew he will continue to be. 1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, chapter II, in Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume III, Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 60:
   • King.[…]Lyons make Leopards tame. / Mo[wbray]. Yea, but not change his ſpots: 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i], page 24, column 2:
   • Can the Ethiopian change his ſkinne? or the leopard his ſpots? 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Jeremiah 13:23, column 1:
   • The leopard cannot change his spots, old boy. 1918, Johnston McCulley, Thubway Tham's Inthane Moment:

Forms

Relateds

what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh

Synonyms

the fox may grow grey but never good · the wolf may lose his teeth but never his nature · you can take the person out of the place, but you can't take the place out of the person

Translations (65)

ms ججق بوليه دهيلڠکن, بلڠ باݢايمان دهيلڠکن؟ (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ms سوکر اونتوق ملوروسکن ايکور انجيڠ (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · cy a newidia y llewpard ei frychni? (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · vi giang sơn dễ đổi, bản tính khó dời (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ga ní dhéanfadh an saol capall rása d'asal (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ko 제 버릇 개 못 준다 (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · hy կարմիր կովը կաշին չի փոխի (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · de die Katze lässt das Mausen nicht (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · tl ang kabayo ay bigyan man ng asukal at tinapay, sapilitang aayawan, humahanap din ng kumpay (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · fa لا تبدیل لخلق الله (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · sq ujku qimen e ndërron por zakonin s'e harron (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ga is treise dúchas ná oiliúint (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · fr on ne se refait pas (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · uk горбатого могила виправить (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ms ekor anjing dilurut, tidak lurus juga (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · cmn 本性难移 (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · pt pode o etíope mudar a sua pele ou o leopardo as suas manchas? (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · pl natura ciągnie wilka do lasu (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · nl een vos verliest wel zijn haren, maar niet zijn streken (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ms rupa boleh diubah, tabiat dibawa mati (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ar الطَّبْعُ يَغْلِبُ التَّطَبُّعَ (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · hu kutyából nem lesz szalonna (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · es no hay que pedir peras al olmo (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · et küürakat parandab ainult haud (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ms روڤا بوليه دأوبه, طبيعة دباوا ماتي (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · fr chassez le naturel, il revient au galop (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · es genio y figura hasta la sepultura (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · nan 牵到北京也是牛 (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ko 개 버릇 남 주나 (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ga briseann an dúchas trí shúile an chait (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ms تيدق لوروس جوݢ (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · es la cabra siempre tira al monte (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · sv ränderna går aldrig ur (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · id rupa boleh berubah, tabiat dibawa mati (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · de niemand kann aus seiner Haut (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ms habis minyak sepasu, ekor anjing diurut tiada lurus (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · cmn 江山易改，本性難移 /江山易改 (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · nl een vos verliest zijn streken niet (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · es quien nace lechón muere cochino (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · fi jäljistään jäniskin tunnetaan (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · it il lupo perde il pelo ma non il vizio (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ms ايکتن بوليه دأوبه, تاکوق باݢايمان دأوبه (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · nan 牛就是牛，牽到北京也是牛 /牛就是牛 (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · cs zvyk je železná košile (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · nan 牛牽到北京也是牛 /牛牵到北京也是牛 (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · gd thèid dualchas an aghaidh nan creag (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · it chi nasce tondo non può morire quadrato (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · lt vilku gimęs, vilku ir dvės (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · vi ngựa quen đường cũ (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ms sukar untuk meluruskan ekor anjing (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · tr huylu huyundan vazgeçmez (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · tr can çıkar huy çıkmaz (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ms jejak boleh dihilangkan, belang bagaimana dihilangkan? (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · pt o leopardo não pode mudar suas manchas (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ms ikatan boleh diubah, takuk bagaimana diubah? (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · fi seepra ei pääse raidoistaan (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · sh vuk dlaku mijenja, ali ćud nikada (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · gd cha chaochail dubh a dhath (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · gd an car a bha san t-seana mhaide 's duilich a thoirt às (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · az qozbeli qəbir düzəldər (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · cs starého psa novým kouskům nenaučíš (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · hy թուրքը մնում է թուրք (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ko 제 버릇 개 줄까 (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ro lupul își schimbă părul, dar năravul ba (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh) · ms ايکور انجيڠ دلوروت (one cannot change one's own nature — see also what's bred in the bone will come out in the flesh)