cheetah
Americannoun
-
cheetahs
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of cheetah
1695–1705; < Hindi cītā < Sanskrit citraka leopard; compare Pali cittaka, Prakrit cittaya
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How does cheetah compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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So do the animal-shaped wool carpets that riff on traditional skin rugs by using vegetarian-friendly materials to create colorful, flattened creatures: a fiery, spotted cheetah; a purple-striped dodo; a particularly silly mammoth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
A story for young readers about a rescue dog and a young cheetah is inspired by real-world zoo practices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
To better understand how evolution shaped these sounds, the researchers compared domestic cat meows with those of five wild cat species: African wildcat, European wildcat, jungle cat, cheetah, and cougar.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 11, 2026
His similarity to the film’s villain, Mr. Potter — a wealthy, nasty slumlord who names everything he takes control of after himself — was easier to point out than spots on a cheetah.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 23, 2025
We started talking about some of Dad’s great escapades: letting me pet the cheetah, taking us Demon Hunting, giving us stars for Christmas.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
Similar cases involving cheetahs from Syria, a gorilla from Haiti, and bonobos from Iraq are among those questioned by CITES.
From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2025
Mr. Schaller describes the habits of cheetahs, lions and leopards across 1,500 square miles in Serengeti National Park.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2025
Many foreign and local tourists visit the reserve to see its wildlife, including lions, leopards and cheetahs.
From BBC ● May 1, 2024
For years, it seemed most people considered the animals unappealing and preferred seeing “real” predators like lions or cheetahs.
From National Geographic ● Feb. 8, 2024
They form close friendships, hunt together and fight shoulder to shoulder against baboons, cheetahs and enemy chimpanzees.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
