catty

1
[ kat-ee ]
See synonyms for: cattycattiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective,cat·ti·er, cat·ti·est.
  1. catlike; feline.

  2. slyly malicious; spiteful: a catty gossip.

Origin of catty

1
First recorded in 1885–90; cat + -y1

Other words for catty

Other words from catty

  • cat·ti·ly, adverb
  • cat·ti·ness, noun

Words Nearby catty

Other definitions for catty (2 of 2)

catty2
[ kat-ee ]

noun,plural cat·ties.
  1. (in China and southeast Asia) a weight equal to about 1½ pounds (680 grams) avoirdupois.

Origin of catty

2
1545–55; <Malay kati

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use catty in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for catty (1 of 2)

catty1

cattish

/ (ˈkætɪ) /


adjective-tier or -tiest
  1. informal spiteful: a catty remark

  2. of or resembling a cat

Derived forms of catty

  • cattily or cattishly, adverb
  • cattiness or cattishness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for catty (2 of 2)

catty2

cattie

/ (ˈkætɪ) /


nounplural -ties
  1. a unit of weight, used esp in E Asia, traditionally equal to about one and a half pounds but formalized as 0.5 kg in mainland China, 0.6 kg in Taiwan and Thailand, and about 0.605 kg in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore: (Mandarin) Chinese name:: jin

Origin of catty

2
C16: from Malay kati

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012