Illustration of cheetah
plural cheetahs also cheetah
: a long-legged, swift-moving cat (Acinonyx jubatus) about the size of a small leopard with a yellowish to tan coat covered with numerous round to oval black spots and blunt claws that only partially retract and having a current range restricted to Africa and isolated parts of Iran
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A cheetah is a slender, long-legged cat that lives on the plains of Africa and in the Middle East, where it is threatened with extinction. It is the fastest land animal in the world over short distances and can reach a speed of 60 mph (100 kph). Its claws differ from those of other cats in being only partly retractable and lacking protective sheaths. Cheetahs purr rather than roar. Cheetahs grow to about 55 in. (140 cm) long, excluding the 29-31-in. (75-80-cm) tail, and weigh 110-130 lbs. (50-60 kg). Their coarse fur is sandy yellow above, white below, and covered with small black spots; a black streak runs down the face from the corner of each eye.
Examples of cheetah in a Sentence
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Black and white cheetah prints decked skirts with a front slit trimmed in aquamarine feathers which also snaked around the lapels of a fiery red woolen coat.
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WWD, 3 Mar. 2025
In 2020, cheetah cubs born at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio were the result of IVF and embryo transfer.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 6 Feb. 2025
This cheetah cub had been taken from the wild and transported via camel to the northern coast of Somaliland.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2025
Two new cheetah cubs will join the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's Cat Ambassador Program, the zoo said in a release Wednesday.
—Bebe Hodges, The Enquirer, 7 Dec. 2024
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WWD, 3 Mar. 2025
In 2020, cheetah cubs born at the Columbus Zoo in Ohio were the result of IVF and embryo transfer.
—Monica Cull, Discover Magazine, 6 Feb. 2025
This cheetah cub had been taken from the wild and transported via camel to the northern coast of Somaliland.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2025
Two new cheetah cubs will join the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden's Cat Ambassador Program, the zoo said in a release Wednesday.
—Bebe Hodges, The Enquirer, 7 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for cheetah
Cite this Entry
“Cheetah.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cheetah. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
cheetah
noun
chee·tah
ˈchēt-ə 
: a long-legged spotted African and formerly Asian cat that is the fastest of all animals on land
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