feline

adjective

fe·​line ˈfē-ˌlīn 

1

: of, relating to, or affecting cats or the cat family

2

: resembling a cat: such as

a

: sleekly graceful

b

: sly, treacherous

c

: stealthy

feline noun

felinely adverb

felinity

fē-ˈli-nə-tē 

noun

Did you know?

Cats have always provoked a strong reaction from humans. The Egyptians worshipped them, leaving thousands of feline mummies and idols as evidence. In the Middle Ages, felines were feared as agents of the devil, and were thought to creep around silently at night doing evil. (Notice that feline is also a noun.) The fascinating family called the Felidae includes about 40 species of superb hunters, including the lions, tigers, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars, bobcats, and lynxes, and almost all of them are smooth, silent, and independent.

Synonyms

• agile
• featly
• graceful
• gracile
• light
• light-footed
• light-foot
• lightsome
• lissome
• lissom
• lithe
• lithesome
• nimble
• spry

Examples of feline in a Sentence

They move with feline agility.

the thief was eerily feline as he moved stealthily through the darkened rooms

Recent Examples on the Web

As Sarah Ellis, the head of cat mental wellbeing and behavior at International Cat Care, points out, feline mothers bring live prey back to their kittens to teach them how to hunt, and cats of both sexes have been known to move their food to safer spots before chowing down. —Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 22 Nov. 2023

In total, Scott gathered 194 minutes of feline footage that contained 186 interactions. —Margaret Osborne, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Nov. 2023

Signs of feline motion sickness include excessive drooling, vomiting, howling or excessive vocalization, and restlessness, according to VCA Animal Hospitals. —Amiah Taylor, Discover Magazine, 12 Oct. 2023

While the character of Goose is returning for The Marvels, the feline actor who portrayed the animal companion in Captain Marvel did not reprise their role. —Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 8 Nov. 2023

If kids put money on top of this innocent-looking box, a feline thief will poke its head out, pause for a second and then snatch the money away. —Rachel Rothman, goodhousekeeping.com, 13 May 2023

Doja Cat stepped out on the carpet with a prosthetic cat face, rounding out the feline fashion moment with a glittering and feathered silver gown by Oscar de la Renta topped with a cat-ear hood. —Hannah Yasharoff, USA TODAY, 2 May 2023

Clearly, the little-cat side of the feline family needs a better PR agent. —Jonathan Losos, Discover Magazine, 10 Aug. 2023

The origin of the cat flap, which allows feline friends to come and go without endless scratching on doors, is not entirely clear. —Christopher Parker, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Sep. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Latin felinus, from felis

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing feline

• feline distemper
• feline panleukopenia

• feline distemper
• feline panleukopenia

Kids Definition

feline

1 of 2 adjective

fe·​line

ˈfē-ˌlīn

1

a

: belonging to the family of flesh-eating mammals with soft fur that includes the cats, lions, tigers, leopards, pumas, and lynxes

b

: of or resembling a cat : characteristic of cats

2

: sly sense 1, stealthy

feline

2 of 2 noun

: a feline animal : cat

Medical Definition

feline

adjective

fe·​line ˈfē-ˌlīn 

: of, relating to, or affecting cats or the family Felidae

feline noun