gazelle

American  

[guh-zel] / gəˈzɛl /

noun

• gazelles,
  plural
• gazelle
  plural

1. any small antelope of the genus Gazella and allied genera, of Africa and Asia, noted for graceful movements and lustrous eyes.

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gazelle British  

/ ɡəˈzɛl /

noun

1. any small graceful usually fawn-coloured antelope of the genera Gazella and Procapra, of Africa and Asia, such as G. thomsoni ( Thomson's gazelle )

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• gazelle-like
  adjective
• gazellelike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• gazelle
  plural
• gazelles
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of gazelle

1575–85; < French; Old French gazel < Arabic ghazāla

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Compare meaning

How does gazelle compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• antelope vs. gazelle

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Explanation

A gazelle is a graceful little antelope that's native to Africa and Asia. Gazelles are extremely fast, running at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. Gazelles need to be speedy, since their predators include cheetahs, lions, and leopards. These elegant, long-legged animals were frequently used in ancient Arabic and Persian literature, usually as a symbol of female beauty, and gazelle comes from the Arabic ghazal, a lyric love poem typically set to music. The ancient Hebrew "Song of Songs" also includes a symbolic gazelle: "Come away, my beloved, and be like a gazelle."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

gazelle gazelles

During closing arguments in the Los Angeles case a week and a half ago, Mark Lanier, an attorney representing Kaley, compared the companies to a lion preying on a herd of gazelle on the Serengeti.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026

The horned head of a stuffed gazelle had been knocked from its mount and was left sitting on the couch.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 1, 2026

She was called an "amiable anteater" with an "unbelievable nose", who resembled "a myopic gazelle".

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2023

Think about an elephant’s lower legs compared to those of a gazelle.

From Seattle Times ● May 8, 2023

His run was more aggressive, a cheetah rather than a gazelle, and he quickly overtook them.

From "Twilight" by Stephenie Meyer

Here, approximately 1.3 million wildebeest, accompanied by about 200,000 zebras and 400,000 gazelles, cover up to 3,000 kilometers annually in a clockwise cycle that follows seasonal rainfall patterns.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 12, 2024

The piled stones are often little more than lines on the desert floor, and Crassard notes that gazelles and antelopes would have been able to easily leap over them.

From Scientific American ● May 17, 2023

Because of the abundance there of grasses as sources of food, Africa’s savannas are home to a range of large grazing mammals including gazelles, wildebeests, elephants, ostriches, and zebras.

From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 2023

These Terps are grinders, not gazelles, and shortening the game against a team that averaged 82.6 points — fifth in the nation — was the best philosophy.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 19, 2023

As lions became deadlier, so gazelles evolved to run faster, hyenas to cooperate better, and rhinoceroses to be more bad-tempered.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

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