cheetah

[ chee-tuh ]

noun

1. a cat, Acinonyx jubatus, of southwestern Asia and Africa, resembling a leopard but having certain doglike characteristics, often trained for hunting deer, antelope, etc.: an endangered species.

cheetah

/ ˈtʃiːtə /

noun

1. a large feline mammal, Acinonyx jubatus, of Africa and SW Asia: the swiftest mammal, having very long legs, nonretractile claws, and a black-spotted light-brown coat

Word History and Origins

Origin of cheetah¹

1695–1705; < Hindi cītā < Sanskrit citraka leopard; compare Pali cittaka, Prakrit cittaya

Word History and Origins

Origin of cheetah¹

C18: from Hindi cītā, from Sanskrit citrakāya tiger, from citra bright, speckled + kāya body

Example Sentences

Guys who might have focused all their energy on Jordans now were copping shoes their dad might have worn, but with the bold twists that define everything Echevarria does — two-tones, chunky lug soles and cheetah print.

From Los Angeles Times

Inspired by the immersive world-building of peak-era Kanye West and by the retro-futuristic production style of his fellow Virginia native Pharrell Williams, Richman says his goal with “Coyote” was creating “this dark, glittery, spacey funk journey” — a mission that also involves a handful of visually striking music videos, including the clip for his song “Devil Is a Lie,” which was shot in part at the Hollywood topless club Cheetah’s.

From Los Angeles Times

Then Shaboozey says, ‘We’re going to Cheetah’s!’

From Los Angeles Times

As leads of both of their multiple shows and series of movies, Lovato and Symoné dominated the Disney Channel for several years for their work on "That's So Raven," "The Cheetah Girls," "Sonny with a Chance" and "Camp Rock."

From Salon

"I started dating a zookeeper, but it turned out he was a cheetah."

From BBC

Related Words

• bobcat
• caracal
• cougar
• jaguar
• leopard
• lion
• lynx
• mountain lion
• ocelot
• panther
• puma
• tiger
• wildcat