cheetah
n. countablen. a large wild cat from Africa and parts of Iran that can run very fast. It has yellow fur with small black spots and long legs.
n. a large, slender feline of the genus Acinonyx, native to Africa and central Iran. Noted for being the fastest land animal, it possesses a tawny coat with solid black spots and distinctive 'tear marks' running from the eyes to the mouth.
The cheetah runs across the grass to catch its prey.
During the safari, we watched a cheetah use its incredible speed to hunt a gazelle on the open plains.
Conservationists are working to protect the cheetah's remaining habitat, as the species requires vast territories to maintain its population and hunting grounds in the wild.
Borrowed from Hindi चीता (cītā, “leopard, panther”), ultimately from Sanskrit चित्र (citra, “multicolored, speckled”) (akin to Old High German haitar (“bright”) > German heiter; Old Norse heiðr (“bright”)) + Sanskrit काय (kāya, “body”), thus “having a spotted body”.