Word Study
cheetah
CIDE DICTIONARY
cheetah, n. [Hind. chītā.].
A species of leopard (Cynælurus jubatus ) tamed and used for hunting in India. The woolly cheetah of South Africa is Cynælurus laneus . It runs very fast in short spurts while hunting. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
cheetah, n. a swift-running feline, Acinonyx jubatus, with a leopard-like spotted coat.
Etymology
Hindi cita, perh. f. Skr. citraka speckled
THESAURUS
cheetah
Leo, Siberian tiger, bobcat, cat-a-mountain, catamount, cougar, jaguar, leopard, lion, lynx, mountain lion, ocelot, painter, panther, puma, simba, tiger, wildcatROGET THESAURUS
cheetah
Variegation
N variegation, colors, dichroism, trichroism, iridescence, play of colors, polychrome, maculation, spottiness, striae, spectrum, rainbow, iris, tulip, peacock, chameleon, butterfly, tortoise shell, mackerel, mackerel sky, zebra, leopard, cheetah, nacre, ocelot, ophite, mother-of-pearl, opal, marble, check, plaid, tartan, patchwork, marquetry-, parquetry, mosaic, tesserae, strigae, chessboard, checkers, chequers, harlequin, Joseph's coat, tricolor, variegated, many-colored, many-hued, divers-colored, party- colored, dichromatic, polychromatic, bicolor, tricolor, versicolor, of all the colors of the rainbow, of all manner of colors, kaleidoscopic, iridescent, opaline, opalescent, prismatic, nacreous, pearly, shot, gorge de pigeon, chatoyant, irisated, pavonine, pied, piebald, motley, mottled, marbled, pepper and salt, paned, dappled, clouded, cymophanous, mosaic, tesselated, plaid, tortoise shell, spotted, spotty, punctated, powdered, speckled, freckled, flea-bitten, studded, flecked, fleckered, striated, barred, veined, brinded, brindled, tabby, watered, grizzled, listed, embroidered, daedal, naevose, stipiform, strigose, striolate, (iii) PERCEPTIONS OF LIGHT.For further exploring for "cheetah" in Webster Dictionary Online