gazelle
Americannoun
-
gazelles,
plural
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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
The media engaged in a feeding frenzy like lions having downed a hapless gazelle.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2024
Think about an elephant’s lower legs compared to those of a gazelle.
From Seattle Times ● May 8, 2023
He moved about the court with the ease and grace of a gazelle.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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
Because of the abundance there of grasses as sources of food, Africa’s savannas are home to a range of large grazing mammals including gazelles, wildebeests, elephants, ostriches, and zebras.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 19, 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
For pregnant gazelles, zebras, and other prey species, the ability to flee swiftly protects them from predation.
From Scientific American ● Feb. 19, 2023
A giant sign at its edge beckons them to stop and rest like gazelles at a watering hole.
From "The One and Only Ivan" by Katherine Applegate
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.
