cheetah

[ chee-tuh ]

/ ˈtʃi tə /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR cheetah ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

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.

Nearby words

cheesemonger, cheeseparing, cheesesteak, cheesewood, cheesy, cheetah, cheever, chef, chef de cuisine, chef's knife, chef's salad

Origin of cheetah

1695–1705; < Hindi cītā < Sanskrit citraka leopard; compare Pali cittaka, Prakrit cittaya

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for cheetah

In the Middle East, a cheetah riding shotgun in the plush leather seat of a luxury sports car is the ultimate status symbol.
The $10 Billion Pet Cheetah and Chimp Industry|Sharon Adarlo|July 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
According to his mother, Horowitz was inspired by a Cheetah Girls concert he attended at age 7.
The Six Most Fabulous, Most Epic Bar Mitzvah Dances Ever (VIDEO)|Kevin Fallon|August 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The42 force with which the cheetah strikes his victim is marvellous.
The Last Voyage|Lady (Annie Allnutt) Brassey
In it he said: "A Cheetah is a yellow streak full of people's pet dogs," so perhaps that is the answer.
The Smiling Hill-Top|Julia M. Sloane

It infests the small intestines, and is found alike in the fox, wolf, and cheetah.
Parasites|T. Spencer Cobbold
Well, a cheetah is just a big cat, and yet a saucer of milk does not go very far in satisfying its wants, I daresay.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes|Arthur Conan Doyle
These impenetrable depths we knew were the lair of the leopard and cheetah.
Forty Thousand Miles Over Land and Water|Lady (Ethel Gwendoline [Moffatt]) Vincent

British Dictionary definitions for cheetah

cheetah

chetah

/ (ˈtʃiːtə) /

noun

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

Word Origin for cheetah

C18: from Hindi cītā, from Sanskrit citrakāya tiger, from citra bright, speckled + kāya body

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