gazelle
Americannoun
-
gazelles,
plural
-
gazelle
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of gazelle
1575–85; < French; Old French gazel < Arabic ghazāla
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How does gazelle compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A gazelle is a graceful little antelope that's native to Africa and Asia. Gazelles are extremely fast, running at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. Gazelles need to be speedy, since their predators include cheetahs, lions, and leopards. These elegant, long-legged animals were frequently used in ancient Arabic and Persian literature, usually as a symbol of female beauty, and gazelle comes from the Arabic ghazal, a lyric love poem typically set to music. The ancient Hebrew "Song of Songs" also includes a symbolic gazelle: "Come away, my beloved, and be like a gazelle."
Vocabulary lists containing gazelle
Africa - Introductory
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Africa - Middle School
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Africa - High School
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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:
During closing arguments in the Los Angeles case a week and a half ago, Mark Lanier, an attorney representing Kaley, compared the companies to a lion preying on a herd of gazelle on the Serengeti.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 25, 2026
The Attorney General‘s Office of the State of Baja California announced that Cesar Hernandez, 35, was captured on Thursday in a special operation dubbed “Gacela,” meaning gazelle.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 18, 2025
She was called an "amiable anteater" with an "unbelievable nose", who resembled "a myopic gazelle".
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2023
Think about an elephant’s lower legs compared to those of a gazelle.
From Seattle Times ● May 8, 2023
Observe what happens as the young gazelle, which has just strayed from its herd...
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
Here, approximately 1.3 million wildebeest, accompanied by about 200,000 zebras and 400,000 gazelles, cover up to 3,000 kilometers annually in a clockwise cycle that follows seasonal rainfall patterns.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 12, 2024
This behavior occurs across a range of animals, from guppies to gazelles.
From Scientific American ● Oct. 20, 2023
These Terps are grinders, not gazelles, and shortening the game against a team that averaged 82.6 points — fifth in the nation — was the best philosophy.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 19, 2023
So we made a maquette of the humans, the gazelles, and the wheels, and I took it to Florida to meet Michael Eisner.
From New York Times ● Nov. 16, 2022
With the swiftness of hunted gazelles, Oliver and Laney jumped out of their boxes and raced up the stairs.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
