feline
/ˈfilaɪn/adjective, noun
feline is spelled F-E-L-I-N-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,745th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, feline means “Of or pertaining to cats” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in feline?
| Letters | 6: F-E-L-I-N-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.3 times per million words; the 24,745th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is feline?
Feline appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 24,745th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce feline?
- UK /ˈfiːlaɪn/
- US /ˈfilaɪn/
- Australia /ˈfiːlɑen/
Feline has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-feline.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of feline
- more feline comparative
- most feline superlative
- felines plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does feline mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of or pertaining to cats.
feline behaviour
- 2
catlike (resembling a cat); sleek, graceful, inscrutable, sensual, and/or cunning.
feline character
noun
- 1
A cat: member of the cat family Felidae.
- 2
Any member of Felinae, one of the two extant subdivisions of Felidae.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Feline in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | félin |
| German | Katzen- , katzenartig, katzenhaft |
| Portuguese | felino |
| Spanish | felino |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does feline come from?
Borrowed from Latin fēlīnus, from fēlēs (“wildcat, marten”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).