feline

[ fee-lahyn ]

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.

noun

1. an animal of the cat family.

feline

/ fɪˈlɪnɪtɪ; 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

noun

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

feline

/ fē′līn′ /

1. Characteristic of or resembling felids.

Derived Forms

• ˈfelineness, noun
• ˈfelinely, adverb

Other Words From

• feline·ly adverb
• feline·ness fe·lin·i·ty [fi-, lin, -i-tee], noun
• un·feline adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of feline¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of feline¹

C17: from Latin fēlīnus , from fēlēs cat

Example Sentences

A cuddly feline friend is always and forever better than having toxic men in your life.

From Salon

Kocourek put out food for a cat, but the feline hadn’t been seen in a while and she figured it had disappeared or was dead.

From Los Angeles Times

Due to the ubiquity of street dogs, who can pose a threat to felines, most cats have made a life leaping from roof to roof.

From Salon

She said her pet cat, Yoyo, whom she adopted after overcoming her feline phobia for “A Quiet Place: Day One,” has helped her cope with the split — seemingly her second breakup within a year.

From Los Angeles Times

The actor enjoyed a decades-long career on the stage, famously playing the Cowardly Lion in “The Wiz” in the 1970s and feline leader Old Deuteronomy in the original Broadway production of “Cats.”

From Los Angeles Times