feline

adjective

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fe·line | \ ˈfē-ˌlīn

Definition of feline

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

Other Words from feline Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about feline

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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.

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 With the holidays quickly approaching, Kate Beckinsale is getting her feline friends in the Christmas spirit. — Georgia Slater, PEOPLE.com, "Kate Beckinsale Shares Hilarious Photo of Her Grumpy Cat Clive Dressed As 'Bad Santa'," 20 Dec. 2019 Swift, who has three cats named Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson and Benjamin Button, shared a sweet photo of herself cradling one of her feline friends over her shoulder. — Rania Aniftos, Billboard, "For National Cat Day, Taylor Swift Encourages Fans to Hug Their Cats (Or Not, 'If Your Cat Hates Hugs')," 29 Oct. 2019 In addition to feline celebrity sightings, visitors can see performances, competitions, shop unique cat finds and even adopt a cat on the spot. — Hannah Drown, cleveland, "Love cats? Meet some of the 1,000 felines here for CFA International Cat Show in Facebook Live video preview at 3 p.m.," 11 Oct. 2019 To better understand their pets' emotional needs, cat owners can begin by getting a grasp on just how much their feline friends count on them. — Sarah Jackson, NBC News, "Cats really do need their humans, even if they don't show it," 23 Sep. 2019 Gail Allyn Landau this week recounted tales of the feline friends that strut about the lounge at Catmosphere Laguna. — Lilly Nguyen, Daily Pilot, "Catmosphere Laguna isn’t kitten around as it celebrates a year of rescuing the felines of Orange County," 9 Aug. 2019 The Grammy winner has two other feline friends, Calippo and Dorito. — Rania Aniftos, Billboard, "Ed Sheeran Mourns the Death of His Cat Graham," 1 Aug. 2019 Not everyone can say they get paid to drive a tank or play with feline friends at a cat cafe during work hours. — Patrick Connolly, orlandosentinel.com, "Central Florida Explorer: One year of adventures down, more exploring to come," 3 July 2019 Some take their feline masters to a cat hotel in the Gangnam district of Seoul. — The Economist, "Pet-ownership is booming across the world," 22 June 2019

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