Cheetah

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈtʃiːtÉ™/
• Rhymes: -iːtÉ™
• Homophones: cheater in non-rhotic accents

Alternative forms

• chetah archaic

Origin

Hindi चीता (cītā, "leopard", "panther"), ultimately from Sanskrit चित्र (citra, "multicolored", "speckled") (akin to Old High German haitar ("bright")

Etymology in Merriam-Webster's Dictionary

>

German heiter; Old Norse heiðr ("")) + काय (kāya, "body"), thus "having a spotted body".

Full definition of cheetah

Noun

1. A distinctive member (Acinonyx jubatus) of the cat family, slightly smaller than the leopard, but with proportionately longer limbs and a smaller head; it is native to Africa and also credited with being the fastest terrestrial animal.