A small, graceful antelope with long legs and horns, known for its speed and light, jumping run.
From French *gazelle*, from Arabic *ghazāl* meaning “gazelle.” The word traveled through Mediterranean languages as people described the elegant desert animals they saw. It has long been a symbol of beauty and quickness in poetry and stories.
In Arabic poetry, a *ghazāl* (gazelle) wasn’t just an animal; it was a symbol of a beautiful, swift beloved. When someone is called “gazelle-like,” it ties into centuries of literature. We still use the animal as a metaphor for speed and grace in sports today.
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