alley cat

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See synonyms for alley cat on Thesaurus.com

noun

a homeless, usually mongrel, cat that scavenges for food in alleys, streets, etc.

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Origin of alley cat

First recorded in 1900–05

Words nearby alley cat

alleviation, alleviative, alleviator, all-expense, alley, alley cat, alley cropping, all eyes, alley gate, alley light, alley-oop

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use alley cat in a sentence

We did a movie down in Durango — Great Scout and Cat House Thursday.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Alastair Sim had jowls like melting candle wax, a snarl like a cornered cat and eyes cold with contempt.
How Dickens and Scrooge Saved Christmas|Clive Irving|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We coo over how cute our cat is and minimize the drudgery of cleaning the litter box.
Why Didn’t Camille Dump Bill Cosby?|Amanda Marcotte|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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.
ISIS Has a Message. Do We?|Jamie Dettmer|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The sort of thing where someone write “I love my cat more than my kids” or something like that.
Meghan Daum On Tackling The Unspeakable Parts Of Life|David Yaffe|December 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A lateen sail was visible in the direction of Cat Island, and others to the south seemed almost motionless in the far distance.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
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 Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
The cat had been about to spring at Grandfather Mole again when Mr. Crow spoke to her.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
At that Farmer Green's cat began to run up and down between the rows of vegetables.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey
Farmer Green's cat had never liked Mr. Crow, for no particular reason.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole|Arthur Scott Bailey

British Dictionary definitions for alley cat

alley cat

noun

a homeless cat that roams in back streets

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with alley cat

alley cat

A promiscuous woman; also, a person of loose morals. For example, She's constantly picking up men in bars—a real alley cat. This idiom transfers a stray cat that frequents alleys in search of food to a woman of easy virtue, especially a prostitute seeking customers. [Slang; early 1900s]