cheetah

noun chee·tah \ ˈchē-tə \

Updated on: 14 Apr 2018

Definition of cheetah

plural cheetahs also cheetah

: a long-legged spotted swift-moving African and formerly Asian cat (Acinonyx jubatus) about the size of a small leopard that has blunt nonretractile claws

See cheetah defined for English-language learners

See cheetah defined for kids

Recent Examples of cheetah from the Web

And last week, human rights attorney (and VOGUE’s May cover star) Amal Clooney topped off her cheetah-print dress with a coat from Ermanno Scervino.

— edward barsamian, Vogue, "Queen Letizia Demonstrates Why Sky Blue is the Color of the Moment," 10 Apr. 2018
By the bedrooms, there’s a cloud of lingering hairspray, a cheetah-print blanket, a pack of cigarettes on a nightstand and a birthday balloon floating in a corner.

— morgan greene, chicagotribune.com, "Cast of 'Lettie' visits the real Grace House for formerly incarcerated women on West Side," 10 Apr. 2018
Keep the look fun and up the glam factor by including prints and extra details—cheetah, a killer bow and pops of pink totally promify the 'suits are for work' stereotype.

— hannah miller, Seventeen, "All the Ways to Rock Converse To Prom," 5 Apr. 2018
An intact bowl, overlaid with a golden glaze, shows a valet attending to a cheetah; the animals were trained by the Fatimids to hunt gazelle.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Landmark Exhibition Takes You Inside the Exuberant, Diverse World of the Fatimid Dynasty," 21 Mar. 2018
All three chirping cheetah cubs can be seen on a Safari Park video, viewable on Facebook at: j.mp/chirpcheetahs.

— bradley j. fikes, sandiegouniontribune.com, "San Diego Zoo's three cheetah cubs now have names," 28 Mar. 2018
The ancient Egyptians kept many kinds of exotic animals as pets, including monkeys, cheetahs, and small deer, but were nearly obsessed with domestic cats.

— Longreads, "The Way We Treat Our Pets Is More Paleolithic Than Medieval," 22 Mar. 2018
With his hands in close proximity to the cheetah’s gaping mouth, the valet looks mildly terrified.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Landmark Exhibition Takes You Inside the Exuberant, Diverse World of the Fatimid Dynasty," 21 Mar. 2018
But there are still plenty of cheetah-print dining chairs, $16 each.

— jason wilson, chicagotribune.com, "What I learned about America's future from visiting Trump resorts around the world," 14 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cheetah.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

A cheetah is a slender, long-legged cat that lives on the plains of Africa and in the Middle East, where it is threatened with extinction. It is the fastest land animal in the world over short distances and can reach a speed of 60 mph (100 kph). Its claws differ from those of other cats in being only partly retractable and lacking protective sheaths. Cheetahs purr rather than roar. Cheetahs grow to about 55 in. (140 cm) long, excluding the 29-31-in. (75-80-cm) tail, and weigh 110-130 lbs. (50-60 kg). Their coarse fur is sandy yellow above, white below, and covered with small black spots; a black streak runs down the face from the corner of each eye.

Illustration of cheetah

Origin and Etymology of cheetah

Hindi cītā & Urdu chītā leopard, from Sanskrit citraka, from citra bright, variegated; akin to Old High German heitar bright — more at -hood

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1610

See Words from the same year

Other Mammals Terms

dormouse, dugong, gibbon, grimalkin, sable, stoat, ungulate, vole

CHEETAH Defined for English Language Learners

cheetah

noun

Definition of cheetah for English Language Learners

: a large wild cat that lives in Asia and Africa and that can run very fast

CHEETAH Defined for Kids

cheetah

noun chee·tah \ ˈchē-tə \

Definition of cheetah for Students

: a long-legged spotted African and formerly Asian animal of the cat family that is the fastest animal on land

Learn More about cheetah

See words that rhyme with cheetah Spanish Central: Translation of cheetah Nglish: Translation of cheetah for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cheetah

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cheetah

Definition of cheetah

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Origin and Etymology of cheetah

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CHEETAH Defined for English Language Learners

cheetah

Definition of cheetah for English Language Learners

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cheetah

Definition of cheetah for Students

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CHEETAH Defined for English Language Learners

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Definition of cheetah for English Language Learners

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