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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:

Whang wore a cheetah print blazer, and Doyle wore a wide-brimmed black hat — they both had on gold and red eye makeup.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 24, 2026

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

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

I remember my heart racing as fast as a cheetah.

From "P.S. I Miss You" by Jen Petro-Roy

The cat haven has been operating for 28 years and houses 39 different cat species, including cheetahs, bobcats, clouded leopards, cougars and snow leopards.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 27, 2026

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

In Kenya's Samburu National Park, Marina Cano witnessed young cheetahs practising a hunt on a Günther's dik‑dik, with their mother watching close by.

From BBC Aug. 26, 2025

“Quite a bizarre place,” Inigo said, moving past several large cages in which were cheetahs and hummingbirds and other swift things.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

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