feline

American  

[fee-lahyn] / ˈfi laɪn /

adjective

1. belonging or pertaining to the cat family, Felidae.

2. catlike; characteristic of animals of the cat family.

   a feline tread.

3. sly, stealthy, or treacherous.

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noun

• felines
  plural

1. an animal of the cat family.

feline British  

/ ˈfiːlaɪn /

adjective

1. 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)

2. resembling or suggestive of a cat, esp in stealth or grace

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noun

1. any animal belonging to the family Felidae ; a cat

feline Scientific  

/ fē′līn′ /

1. Characteristic of or resembling felids.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• felineness
  noun
• felinity
  noun
• unfeline
  adjective
• felinely
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• felines
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of feline

1675–85; < Latin fēl ( ēs ) ( see Felis) + -ine ¹; compare Late Latin fēlīneus of a wild cat

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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."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

feline felines

While ecological concerns, particularly among ornithologists, once again threaten to diminish the extent of feline freedoms, ailurophiles can likely rest easy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

He has more affection for the rapidly declining feline, portrayed by a puppet, than the humans he’s putting in harm’s way.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 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

Out of habit, Joe picked up a rock and winged it at this apparition of feline death warmed over, missing by a mile.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols

It’s not yet known how the felines have responded to the family’s newest member.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 7, 2026

When Frankie and Molly begin to communicate with their cats, the felines are voiced by Seth Rogen and Kumail Nanjiani.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026

"Will Benjamin Button carry the rings, or will Olivia have them?" he wondered, of Swift's favourite felines.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

Hunters pay big money to enter the grounds, but they are given express instructions to focus on deer and partridge, and leave the felines well alone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026

And it's working out because Cheddar is sort of obsessed with me, or at least very interested, which in the world of felines counts as obsessive behavior.

From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan

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