feline
Americanadjective
-
belonging or pertaining to the cat family, Felidae.
-
catlike; characteristic of animals of the cat family.
a feline tread.
-
sly, stealthy, or treacherous.
noun
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felines
plural
adjective
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of, relating to, or belonging to the Felidae , a family of predatory mammals, including cats, lions, leopards, and cheetahs, typically having a round head and retractile claws: order Carnivora (carnivores)
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resembling or suggestive of a cat, esp in stealth or grace
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of feline
1675–85; < Latin fēl ( ēs ) ( see Felis) + -ine 1; compare Late Latin fēlīneus of a wild cat
Explanation
You can describe your kitten as your young feline friend, since feline describes anything having to do with cats. The adjective feline is useful when you're talking about cats — just as canine describes dogs, and ursine describes bears. You might talk about the special feline food and toys you buy for your pet, or describe his feline beauty. You can even describe a person as feline, if something about him or her is catlike. The Latin root felinus means "of or belonging to a cat," from feles, "cat."
Vocabulary lists containing feline
A Lexical Zoo of Animal Adjectives
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Cat Vocabulary: A Feline Lexicon
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Unit 1: Telling Details
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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:
In June, more than 400 cats destined for slaughter were rescued after authorities dismantled another alleged feline theft ring, the animal welfare group said.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Dr. Louise Van Der Weyden, senior author at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said the study provides a foundation for the next stage of feline cancer research.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 27, 2026
The small feline, about the size of a domestic moggy, went under the radar because it was confused with other wild cats that share similar spots and stripes.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Cats have at least been associated with women and mysticism since ancient Egypt and the goddess Bast, often portrayed as a women’s body with the head of a feline.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
“I started subscriptions to several feline periodicals, back when I had my Maine coons, and never canceled them.”
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
It’s not yet known how the felines have responded to the family’s newest member.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 7, 2026
Eleven years into their relationship, Waidelich has her gripes with the felines: The fur is everywhere, “the litter box is disgusting,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
A video tour of the sanctuary posted in 2023 showed horses grazing and galloping across a vast expanse of the 40-acre property in Julian and a cattery where felines lounged in cat condos.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 9, 2026
She has four felines but only Captain Crumpet walks with her and German shepherd/border collie cross Lexa May.
From BBC ● Apr. 5, 2026
Could these Earth felines know only ONE word?
From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
