Nouveau means newly arrived or developed. Art Nouveau refers to a design style of late 19th century origin, characterized especially by sinuous lines and foliate forms. Because the whippet as a breed is the relative newcomer to the Sighthound family having been developed within the last two hundred years or so, and also because it is the most elegant and graceful, we feel that the word "Nouveau" reflects these unique aspects of the whippet.