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

Illustration of Abyssinian

• Abyssinian 1

Examples of Abyssinian in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Common street names for the drug include Abyssinian tea, African salad, catha, chat, kat and oat, according to the DEA. — Bryan Lynn, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026

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

Word History

Etymology

Abyssinia, kingdom in Africa

First Known Use

1703, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for Abyssinian

• adlerian
• caesarian
• cyclopean
• european
• grammarian
• hercynian
• huronian
• jacobean
• maccabean
• manichaean
• manichean
• mullerian