English 'cheetah' comes from Hindi cītā, from Sanskrit citraka meaning 'the spotted one' — named for its distinctive coat pattern, with the Sanskrit root tracing to PIE *(s)kei- meaning 'to gleam'.
A large, slender African cat (Acinonyx jubatus) with a tawny coat marked with black spots, the fastest land animal.
English 'cheetah' derives from Hindi 'cītā' (चीता), from Sanskrit 'citraka' (चित्रक) meaning 'spotted one, variegated', from 'citra' (चित्र) meaning 'bright, spotted, variegated, speckled'. The Sanskrit 'citra' derives from PIE *keit- or *(s)kei- meaning 'to gleam, shine'. The cheetah was well known in India as a hunting companion — Mughal emperors kept trained cheetahs for coursing game, a practice that brought the animal and its Hindi name to the attention of European travelers. The English form entered via British colonial contact
Mughal emperor Akbar the Great reportedly kept over 9,000 cheetahs during his reign and used them for hunting — trained cheetahs were blindfolded, brought to the hunt on a cart, and released near the prey. This practice is how the Hindi word 'cītā' entered European languages: visitors to the Mughal court encountered both the animal and its name simultaneously.