cheetah

[ chee-tuh ]
/ ˈtʃi tə /

noun

a cat, Acinonyx jubatus, of southwestern Asia and Africa, resembling a leopard but having certain doglike characteristics, often trained for hunting deer, antelope, etc.: an endangered species.

Origin of cheetah

1695–1705; < Hindi cītā < Sanskrit citraka leopard; compare Pali cittaka, Prakrit cittaya

Example sentences from the Web for cheetah

British Dictionary definitions for cheetah

cheetah

chetah

/ (ˈtʃiːtə) /

noun

a large feline mammal, Acinonyx jubatus, of Africa and SW Asia: the swiftest mammal, having very long legs, nonretractile claws, and a black-spotted light-brown coat

Word Origin for cheetah

C18: from Hindi cītā, from Sanskrit citrakāya tiger, from citra bright, speckled + kāya body