Illustration of Abyssinian
- Abyssinian 1
Abyssinian
noun
Ab·ys·sin·i·an
ˌa-bə-ˈsi-nē-ən 
-ˈsi-nyən
plural Abyssinians
1
: any of a breed of medium-sized slender domestic cats of African origin with short usually brownish hair ticked with bands of darker color
2
dated
: a native or inhabitant of Abyssinia : ethiopian sense 1
Abyssinian
adjective
Examples of Abyssinian in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Abyssinian Your curious, free-spirited nature needs a cat that can keep up and the Abyssinian is always ready for a new adventure, Sagittarius.
—
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Cat breeds such as Orientals, Burmese, Abyssinian, Persian and Siamese often have larger litters.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
Christopher Walken, who once gifted an Abyssinian kitten to a reporter during an Interview magazine profile, has raised cats for decades.
—Steve Garbarino, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
In Harlem, the Abyssinian Baptist Church—a Gothic historic megachurch—is a centerpiece for local communities.
—Tiana Randall, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2025
Among the most agile cat breeds are the Bengal and Abyssinian.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
The music world gathered at New York’s Abyssinian Baptist Church to mourn the loss of genre legend Roberta Flack.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
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Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 28 Nov. 2025
Cat breeds such as Orientals, Burmese, Abyssinian, Persian and Siamese often have larger litters.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
Christopher Walken, who once gifted an Abyssinian kitten to a reporter during an Interview magazine profile, has raised cats for decades.
—Steve Garbarino, HollywoodReporter, 24 Oct. 2025
In Harlem, the Abyssinian Baptist Church—a Gothic historic megachurch—is a centerpiece for local communities.
—Tiana Randall, Vogue, 21 Apr. 2025
Among the most agile cat breeds are the Bengal and Abyssinian.
—Maria Azzurra Volpe, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
The music world gathered at New York’s Abyssinian Baptist Church to mourn the loss of genre legend Roberta Flack.
—Jay Stahl, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Abyssinian.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Abyssinian. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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