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View synonyms for cat

cat

1

[ kat ]

noun

  1. a small domesticated carnivore, Felis domestica or F. catus, bred in a number of varieties.
  2. any of several carnivores of the family Felidae, such as the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, etc.
  3. Older Slang.
    1. a person, especially a man:

      I'll admit that I'm not the hippest cat in town but even I know that show.

    2. a devotee of jazz:

      That cat's got a great ear, but he can't sing or play himself.

  4. a woman given to spiteful or malicious gossip.
  5. Games.
    1. Chiefly British. the game of tipcat, or the tapering piece of wood used in the game.
  6. Obsolete. the fur of the domestic cat.
  7. Nautical. a tackle used in hoisting an anchor to the cathead, a projecting timber or metal beam where the anchor is secured.
  8. a double tripod having six legs but resting on only three no matter how it is set down, usually used before or over a fire.
  9. Navy Informal. catapult ( def 2 ).
  10. (in medieval warfare) a movable shelter for providing protection when approaching a fortification.


verb (used with object)

, cat·ted, cat·ting.
  1. to flog with a cat-o'-nine-tails.
  2. Nautical. to hoist (an anchor) and secure to a cathead, a projecting timber or metal beam where the anchor is secured.

verb (used without object)

, cat·ted, cat·ting.
  1. British Slang. to vomit.

verb phrase

  1. Slang.
    1. to seek sexual activity indiscriminately:

      Many of these celebrities have catted around despite being married.

    2. to spend one's time aimlessly or idly:

      We're going out to the country to hunt, explore, and just cat around a bit.

Cat

2

[ kat ]

Trademark.
  1. a Caterpillar tractor.

CAT

3
  1. clear-air turbulence.
  2. Medicine/Medical. computerized axial tomography.

cat.

4

abbreviation for

  1. catalog; catalogue.
  2. catechism.

cat

1

/ kæt /

noun

  1. Also calleddomestic cat a small domesticated feline mammal, Felis catus (or domesticus ), having thick soft fur and occurring in many breeds in which the colour of the fur varies greatly: kept as a pet or to catch rats and mice
  2. Also calledbig cat any of the larger felines, such as a lion or tiger
  3. any wild feline mammal of the genus Felis, such as the lynx or serval, resembling the domestic cat feline
  4. old-fashioned.
    a woman who gossips maliciously
  5. slang.
    a man; guy
  6. nautical a heavy tackle for hoisting an anchor to the cathead
  7. a short sharp-ended piece of wood used in the game of tipcat
  8. short for catboat
  9. informal.
    short for Caterpillar
  10. a bag of cats informal.
    a bad-tempered person

    she's a real bag of cats this morning

  11. fight like Kilkenny cats
    to fight until both parties are destroyed
  12. let the cat out of the bag
    to disclose a secret, often by mistake
  13. like a cat on a hot tin roof or like a cat on hot bricks
    in an uneasy or agitated state
  14. like cat and dog
    quarrelling savagely
  15. look like something the cat brought in
    to appear dishevelled or bedraggled
  16. not a cat in hell's chance
    no chance at all
  17. not have room to swing a cat
    to have very little space
  18. play cat and mouse
    to play with a person or animal in a cruel or teasing way, esp before a final act of cruelty or unkindness
  19. put the cat among the pigeons
    to introduce some violently disturbing new element
  20. rain cats and dogs
    to rain very heavily
“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


verb

  1. tr to flog with a cat-o'-nine-tails
  2. tr nautical to hoist (an anchor) to the cathead
  3. intr a slang word for vomit
“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

CAT

2

abbreviation for

  1. computer-aided teaching
  2. computer-assisted trading
“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

cat

3

/ kæt /

noun

    1. ( as modifier )

      a cat car

“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

adjective

  1. short for catalytic

    a cat cracker

“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

cat.

4

abbreviation for

  1. catalogue
  2. catamaran
“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

cat

5

/ kæt /

noun

  1. informal.
    short for catamaran
“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
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Derived Forms

  • ˈcatˌlike, adjective
  • ˈcattish, adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of cat1

First recorded before 900; Middle English cat, catte, Old English catt (masculine), catte (feminine); cognate with Old Frisian, Middle Dutch katte, Old High German kazza, Old Norse kǫttr; akin to Late Latin cattus, catta (first recorded in the 4th century, presumably with the introduction of domestic cats); further origin uncertain
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Word History and Origins

Origin of cat1

Old English catte, from Latin cattus; related to Old Norse köttr, Old High German kazza, Old French chat, Russian kot
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. bell the cat, to attempt something formidable or dangerous:

    The question at the moment is who will bell the cat, since nobody on the board is willing to tell the CEO she's fired.

  2. cat got your tongue?, (used to ask why someone is not speaking):

    You've been awfully quiet—cat got your tongue?

  3. enough to make a cat laugh, very funny, outrageous, or absurd:

    Hearing these politicians talk about the lives of everyday people is enough to make a cat laugh.

  4. let the cat out of the bag, to divulge a secret, especially inadvertently or carelessly:

    He let the cat out of the bag, and the surprise party wasn't a surprise after all.

  5. look like something the cat dragged in, to look tired, unkempt, ugly, etc.:

    You look like something the cat dragged in—go have a shower and a nap.

  6. look what the cat dragged in, Often Facetious. (used to acknowledge someone's arrival while implying that they look bad or are unwelcome):

    Darn it, he's here. Look what the cat dragged in!

  7. the cat that ate / swallowed / got the canary, someone who is self-satisfied, proud, or pleased:

    She won the contest by a hair and walked around like the cat that ate the canary for the rest of the month.

  8. curiosity killed the cat. curiosity ( def 5 ).
  9. fight like cats and dogs. fight ( def 18 ).
  10. rain cats and dogs. rain ( def 13 ).

More idioms and phrases containing cat

  • alley cat
  • bell the cat
  • curiosity killed the cat
  • fat cat
  • grin like a Cheshire cat
  • let the cat out of the bag
  • like a cat on a hot brick
  • look like something the cat dragged in
  • look like the cat that ate the canary
  • more than one way to skin a cat
  • not enough room to swing a cat
  • play cat and mouse
  • rain cats and dogs
  • when the cat's away
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Example Sentences

We did a movie down in Durango — Great Scout and Cat House Thursday.

Alastair Sim had jowls like melting candle wax, a snarl like a cornered cat and eyes cold with contempt.

We coo over how cute our cat is and minimize the drudgery of cleaning the litter box.

So Western governments are caught in a cat-and-mouse game and at times it is unclear who is the cat and who the mouse.

The sort of thing where someone write “I love my cat more than my kids” or something like that.

A lateen sail was visible in the direction of Cat Island, and others to the south seemed almost motionless in the far distance.

And if he was worried about Farmer Green's cat, why didn't he dig a hole for himself at once, and get out of harm's way?

The cat had been about to spring at Grandfather Mole again when Mr. Crow spoke to her.

At that Farmer Green's cat began to run up and down between the rows of vegetables.

Farmer Green's cat had never liked Mr. Crow, for no particular reason.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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