sphynx

noun

ˈsfiŋ(k)s 

plural sphynx or sphynxes

: any of a breed of large-eared virtually hairless cats that originated as a spontaneous mutation

Examples of sphynx in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Minskin The minskin is another small breed developed via sphynx and munchkin roots. — Pat Mueller, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2026

Other talkative breeds include the oriental shorthair, the Balinese, the Japanese bobtail, the Tonkinese, the Burmese, the sphynx, and the Bengal. — Joan Morris, Mercury News, 9 Mar. 2026

Despite their lack of a coat, sphynx cats require regular grooming to manage oils that would normally be absorbed by fur. — Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 May 2025

Pixie, Lamy and Owens’s hairless sphynx cat, slinks across the black plywood dining table hunting for food. — Nick Haramis Ola Rindal Dogukan Nesanir, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024

Word History

Etymology

probably alteration of sphinx; from the cat's appearance

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for sphynx

• bunks
• chunks
• drunks
• hunks
• junks
• monks
• punks
• skunks
• trunks