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Showing results for cheetah. Search instead for checotah.
Synonyms

cheetah

American  
[chee-tuh] / ˈtʃi tə /

noun

cheetahs plural
  1. a cat, Acinonyx jubatus, of southwestern Asia and Africa, resembling a leopard but having certain doglike characteristics, often trained for hunting deer, antelope, etc.: an endangered species.


cheetah British  
/ ˈtʃiːtə /

noun

  1. a large feline mammal, Acinonyx jubatus, of Africa and SW Asia: the swiftest mammal, having very long legs, nonretractile claws, and a black-spotted light-brown coat

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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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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.

See Examples For:

One of the pieces in the exhibition is an A-line shag mini dress in cheetah print that Saar made for herself in 1969, and has been passed through the hands of her daughters and granddaughters.

From Los Angeles Times May 7, 2026

Now the only cheetah left at the zoo, she feels responsible for impressing the humans who come to see her run.

From The Wall Street Journal Mar. 20, 2026

When Basma, the zoo’s lead cheetah trainer, decides that Chase and Finn would make an excellent pair, Finn is skeptical.

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

Dad folded his arms on his chest and studied the cheetah.

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

On the first level, he put enemies of speed: wild dogs, cheetahs, hummingbirds.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

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