gazelle

[ guh-zel ]

/ gəˈzɛl /

Save This Word!

noun, plural ga·zelles, (especially collectively) ga·zelle.

any small antelope of the genus Gazella and allied genera, of Africa and Asia, noted for graceful movements and lustrous eyes.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"

"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."

Question 1 of 7

IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?

have

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of gazelle

1575–85; <French; Old French gazel<Arabic ghazāla

OTHER WORDS FROM gazelle

ga·zelle·like, adjective

Words nearby gazelle

gazar, Gaza Strip, gaze, gazebo, gazehound, gazelle, gazelle hound, gaze nystagmus, gazette, gazetted officer, gazetteer

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use gazelle in a sentence

Just before mile nine, I told Devon to go ahead without me, because although I am not smart, I am also not proud, and he shot off like a gazelle through the trees, finally free.
The Rut Is Quite Possibly America’s Most Challenging 50K|jversteegh|October 5, 2021|Outside Online
Generation after generation of baby gazelles are born, destined to be eaten by lions.
How Intelligent Could Life Be Without Natural Selection? - Issue 98: Mind|Arik Kershenbaum|March 17, 2021|Nautilus
Their robotic gazelle descendants would know that longer legs are better and would re-engineer their own design to give them longer legs.
How Intelligent Could Life Be Without Natural Selection? - Issue 98: Mind|Arik Kershenbaum|March 17, 2021|Nautilus
They wanted to experience the magic a designer could conjure with a few yards of silk and a graceful young gazelle to inspire.
Paris Fashion Week Frenzy: Let’s Focus on Clothes|Robin Givhan|March 9, 2011|DAILY BEAST

She glided over the tile floor like a gazelle and had a face that Amedeo Modigliani would have died for.
They Were Perfect Together|Lawrence Schiller|November 22, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Then, from my left, a tall, beautiful girl, graceful as a gazelle in skintight jeans and high heels, slinked over to me.
My Parents' Brothel|Douglas Rogers|December 6, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The gazelle was at my side again, and I bought her a third beer.
My Parents' Brothel|Douglas Rogers|December 6, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Once near the fire, Gazelle settled herself in the warmest corner she could find, and went to sleep.
The Animal Story Book|Various
Either Gazelle had been falsely accused or the theft had been much smaller than was represented.
The Animal Story Book|Various
On the way there it occurred to him that if Gazelle went on at this rate she would certainly die of indigestion before morning.
The Animal Story Book|Various
The varied adventures of Gazelle had become rather a bore, and her owner felt that he must try to find some other home for her.
The Animal Story Book|Various
On the way I shot two goa—Tibetan gazelle—with good heads, and horns over 14 inches long.
Mount Everest the Reconnaissance, 1921|Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury

British Dictionary definitions for gazelle

gazelle

/ (ɡəˈzɛl) /

noun plural -zelles or -zelle

any small graceful usually fawn-coloured antelope of the genera Gazella and Procapra, of Africa and Asia, such as G. thomsoni (Thomson's gazelle)

Derived forms of gazelle

gazelle-like, adjective

Word Origin for gazelle

C17: from Old French, from Arabic ghazāl

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