cheetah

[chee-tuh] /ˈtʃi tə/
noun
1.
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
1695-1705; < Hindi cītā < Sanskrit citraka leopard; compare Pali cittaka, Prakrit cittaya
Examples from the web for cheetah
  • Whether your a monkey in a tree or a cheetah using his tail to turn on a dime, a tale is great for balance.
  • The only thing missing were the cheetah print seat covers.
  • When the moment is right a cheetah will sprint after its quarry and attempt to knock it down.
  • Sharp eyesight and raw speed make the cheetah a formidable hunter.
  • The mountain lion and the cheetah share an ancestor.
  • The speed is comparable to that of a cheetah, the fastest land animal today, running at full speed.
  • Controversy over behaviour and genetics in cheetah conservation.
  • The diet of a cheetah is dependent upon the area in which it lives.
  • Habitat the cheetah thrives in areas with vast expanses of land where prey is abundant.
British Dictionary definitions for cheetah

cheetah

/ˈtʃiːtə/
noun
1.
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
C18: from Hindi cītā, from Sanskrit citrakāya tiger, from citra bright, speckled + kāya body
Word Origin and History for cheetah
n.

1704, from Hindi chita "leopard," from Sanskrit chitraka "hunting leopard, tiger," literally "speckled," from chitra-s "distinctively marked, variegated, many-colored, bright, clear" (from PIE *kit-ro-, from root *(s)kai- (1) "bright, shining;" see shine (v.)) + kayah "body," from PIE *kwei- "to build, make" (see poet).