gazelle

noun

ga·​zelle gə-ˈzel How to pronounce gazelle (audio)
plural gazelles also gazelle
: any of numerous small to medium graceful and swift African and Asian antelopes (Gazella and related genera)

Illustration of gazelle

Illustration of gazelle

Examples of gazelle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Mark Lanier, a member of KGM’s legal team, described social-media companies as lions hunting gazelles, and compared their products to cigarettes, the free tortilla chips that patrons may mindlessly snack on at a restaurant, and the baking soda in a cupcake. Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026 Elephants, hippos, buffalo, giraffes, gazelles, zebras, impalas and warthogs — all roaming free just a stone’s throw from our dusty 4×4 in Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park. David Dickstein, Oc Register, 18 Mar. 2026 Mark Lanier, the attorney representing Kaley, began his closing statement by presenting the jurors with an image of a herd of gazelles surrounded by a lion. Arkansas Online, 13 Mar. 2026 That tells us the landscape once supported full cheetah populations, especially alongside prey species like gazelles, which are now being successfully restored in Saudi Arabia. Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 20 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gazelle

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, from Arabic ghazāl

First Known Use

1600, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gazelle was in 1600

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Gazelle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gazelle. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

gazelle

noun
ga·​zelle gə-ˈzel How to pronounce gazelle (audio)
plural gazelles also gazelle
: any of numerous small graceful swift antelopes of Africa and Asia

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