Cheetah: The Fastest Land Animal, and a Name Meaning Spotted
The cheetah is the fastest land animal, reaching around 100 kilometres an hour in short bursts. Its name comes from a Sanskrit word meaning variegated or spotted.
The cheetah is a slender spotted cat of Africa and a small pocket of Iran. It is built entirely for acceleration: a flexible spine, long legs, semi-retractable claws for grip, and a tail used as a rudder in high-speed turns.
- A fast spotted African cat. *A cheetah stalking through the grass.*
- A symbol of speed. *Quick as a cheetah.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | cheetah | A young cheetah. |
| Plural | cheetahs | A coalition of cheetahs. |
| Young | cub | Three cubs survived. |
| Group | coalition | A coalition of brothers. |
| Confusable | cheater | Not related despite the sound. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The cheetah gave up the chase after twenty seconds.They overheat quickly and cannot sustain a sprint.
- Cheetah cubs have a mantle of long grey hair.Thought to help them resemble a honey badger.
- Male cheetahs often live in small groups called coalitions.Usually brothers from the same litter.
What makes it fast
- A flexible spine that lengthens the stride
- Semi-retractable claws that work like running spikes
- Enlarged nostrils, lungs and heart for oxygen at speed
- A long tail used to steer through sharp turns
- It cannot roar — the cheetah chirps, purrs and yelps instead
From Hindi *cita*, from Sanskrit *citraka*, spotted or variegated. Cheetahs were tamed for hunting in India and Persia for centuries, which is how the word reached English in the eighteenth century.
Cheetah or leopard?
A cheetah has solid round spots and black tear lines down its face. A leopard has rosettes — clusters of spots around a darker centre — and is far heavier.
Can a cheetah roar?
No. Its voice box is built differently from the big cats that roar, so it purrs and chirps instead.