feline

adjective

fe·​line ˈfē-ˌlīn 

1

: of, relating to, or affecting cats or the cat family

2

: resembling a cat: such as

a

: sleekly graceful

b

: sly, treacherous

c

: stealthy

feline noun

felinely adverb

felinity

fē-ˈli-nə-tē 

noun

Did you know?

Cats have always provoked a strong reaction from humans. The Egyptians worshipped them, leaving thousands of feline mummies and idols as evidence. In the Middle Ages, felines were feared as agents of the devil, and were thought to creep around silently at night doing evil. (Notice that feline is also a noun.) The fascinating family called the Felidae includes about 40 species of superb hunters, including the lions, tigers, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars, bobcats, and lynxes, and almost all of them are smooth, silent, and independent.

Synonyms

• agile
• featly
• graceful
• gracile
• light
• light-footed
• light-foot
• lightsome
• lissome
• lissom
• lithe
• lithesome
• nimble
• spry

Examples of feline in a Sentence

They move with feline agility.

the thief was eerily feline as he moved stealthily through the darkened rooms

Recent Examples on the Web

According to Boyer, the most important question related to the feline voter registration forms has yet to be answered. —Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Dec. 2024

The Persian cat remains an icon of feline elegance, but its modern iteration raises questions about the ethical implications of selective breeding. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

Spoil your feline friend with this incredibly high-tech cat litter box on sale at Chewy’s Black Friday event. —Kasey Caminiti, USA TODAY, 30 Nov. 2024

No concrete evidence has definitively linked changes in feline behavior to the phases of the lunar cycle, but the sheer absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. —Marina Koren, The Atlantic, 21 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin felinus, from felis

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing feline

• feline distemper
• feline panleukopenia

Kids Definition

feline

1 of 2 adjective

fe·​line

ˈfē-ˌlīn

1

a

: belonging to the family of flesh-eating mammals with soft fur that includes the cats, lions, tigers, leopards, pumas, and lynxes

b

: of or resembling a cat : characteristic of cats

2

: sly sense 1, stealthy

feline

2 of 2 noun

: a feline animal : cat

Medical Definition

feline

adjective

fe·​line ˈfē-ˌlīn 

: of, relating to, or affecting cats or the family Felidae

feline noun