gazelle
Americannoun
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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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.
That is part of the reason Darpa wanted to invest in Gazelle: The Pentagon was trying to ensure a foothold in a market that was increasingly dominated by commercial interests.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
The maker of Gazelle and Samba trainers said it expects operating profit to rise to 2.3 billion euros for 2026, as it unveiled its annual results.
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
“These people suck!” he told the Comedy Gazelle blog in 2023.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2025
“This is a global problem and this is an ideal solution in order to deliver power to shore,” said Gazelle Wind Power CEO Jon Salazar.
From Seattle Times • May 14, 2024
Gazelle and giraffe, I think, will shun that river.
From Library of the World's Best Literature, Ancient and Modern, Vol. 15 by Various
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.
