cheetah

[chee-tuh]

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.

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. 2018

Related Words for cheetah

panther, cheetah, puma, lynx, leopard, tiger, lion, wildcat, jaguar, civet, tom, tabby, kitty, cougar, puss, kitten, bobcat, tomcat, pussy, ocelot

Examples from the Web for cheetah

Contemporary Examples of 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
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

Historical Examples of cheetah

The42 force with which the cheetah strikes his victim is marvellous.
The Last Voyage
Lady (Annie Allnutt) Brassey
I think that I mentioned to you that the doctor kept a cheetah and a baboon.
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
A. Conan Doyle
There was a cheetah, too; perhaps we might find it upon our shoulders at any moment.
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
A. Conan Doyle
It infests the small intestines, and is found alike in the fox, wolf, and cheetah.
Parasites
T. Spencer Cobbold
This is the Felis uncia, allied to the panther and the cheetah.
Milton's Comus
John Milton

British Dictionary definitions for cheetah

cheetah

chetah

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

Word Origin and History for cheetah

1704, from Hindi chita "leopard," from Sanskrit chitraka "hunting leopard, tiger," literally "speckled," from chitra-s "distinctively marked, variegated, many-colored, bright, clear" (from PIE *kit-ro-, from root *(s)kai- (1) "bright, shining;" see shine (v.)) + kayah "body," from PIE *kwei- "to build, make" (see poet).