cat

[ kat ]

/ kæt /

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noun

a small domesticated carnivore, Felis domestica or F. catus, bred in a number of varieties.

any of several carnivores of the family Felidae, as the lion, tiger, leopard or jaguar, etc.

Slang.

a person, especially a man.
a devotee of jazz.

a woman given to spiteful or malicious gossip.

the fur of the domestic cat.

a cat-o'-nine-tails.

Games.

Chiefly British. the tapering piece of wood used in the game of tipcat.
Chiefly British. the game itself.
four old cat, one old cat, three old cat, two old cat.

a catboat.

a catamaran.

a catfish.

Nautical. a tackle used in hoisting an anchor to the cathead.

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.

Navy Informal. catapult (def. 2).

(in medieval warfare) a movable shelter for providing protection when approaching a fortification.

verb (used with object), cat·ted, cat·ting.

to flog with a cat-o'-nine-tails.

Nautical. to hoist (an anchor) and secure to a cathead.

verb (used without object), cat·ted, cat·ting.

British Slang. to vomit.

Verb Phrases

cat around, Slang.

to spend one's time aimlessly or idly.
to seek sexual activity indiscriminately; tomcat.

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Idioms about cat

bell the cat, to attempt something formidable or dangerous.

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.

Origin of cat

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, Irish cat, Welsh cath (unattested Slavic kotŭ, Lithuanian katė̃ perhaps from Germanic ), Late Latin cattus, catta (first attested in the 4th century, presumably with the introduction of domestic cats); further origin uncertain

Words nearby cat

casuarina, casuist, casuistic, casuistry, casus belli, cat, cata-, catabaptist, catabasis, catabolic, catabolism

Other definitions for cat (2 of 4)

Cat

[ kat ]

/ kæt /

Trademark.

a Caterpillar tractor.

Other definitions for cat (3 of 4)

CAT

clear-air turbulence.

Medicine/Medical. computerized axial tomography.

Compare CAT scanner.

Other definitions for cat (4 of 4)

cat.

abbreviation

catalog; catalogue.

catechism.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT CAT

Where does the word cat come from?

While cats may be more enigmatic and reclusive than dogs in real life, when it comes to the source of the word cat, it’s a bit easier to grasp.

The origin of the word dog is one of the great mysteries of English etymology. Learn why in our slideshow “‘Dog,’ ‘Boy,’ And Other Words That We Don’t Know Where They Came From.”

The word cat is recorded in Old English, and hasn’t changed much since. (Hey, if it isn’t broken why fix it?) The masculine form was catt, the feminine catte.

The word cat is most likely related to the Late Latin cattus, source of some other cat words you may have heard, including the Spanish gato and French chat.

Now that you know how cats got their name, why not find out how some of our other most beloved pets got theirs in the slideshow: “Where Do The Words For Our Pets Come From?”

Did you know … ?

Cats are actually an interesting case among domesticated animals. Recent research has shown that—unlike the other animals humans have domesticated, such as dogs, pigs, cows, and horses—cats have not changed much at all genetically and physically over thousands of years. And, yet, cats have clearly lived alongside humans for a long time, as even ancient Egyptian art depicts cats living in people’s homes. Cats’ behaviors compel some experts to refer to them as “semi-domesticated,” “self-domesticated,” or not domesticated at all.

The International Cat Association currently recognizes 71 breeds of cat breeds, ranging from the American Shorthair and Maine Coon to the Savannah cat and Bengal cat. (No, Doja Cat isn’t the name of a pedigree cat; it’s the stage name of Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini, a hip-hop artist who broke into the mainstream with her 2019 album Hot Pink.)On average, domestic cats live for around 15 years, and spend over half that time sleeping—their wakeful hours, of course, pulsing with purring. But why do cats purr? The exact answer remains a mystery, but cats purr when they are both content and nervous, and they make the sound by moving the muscles in their larynx, which causes the air to vibrate. Some scientists think purring evolved as a way to calm themselves down.

Our relationship to cats have inspired a great number of idioms, such as:

Cats have also excited a lot of contemporary internet slang and language play, from LOLcat to cat memes like Nyan Cat, Grumpy Cat, Woman Yells at Cat, and many more.

How to use 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 cat (1 of 5)

cat¹

/ (kæt) /

noun

Also called: domestic 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

Also called: big cat any of the larger felines, such as a lion or tiger

any wild feline mammal of the genus Felis, such as the lynx or serval, resembling the domestic catRelated adjective: feline

old-fashioned a woman who gossips maliciously

slang a man; guy

nautical a heavy tackle for hoisting an anchor to the cathead

a short sharp-ended piece of wood used in the game of tipcat

short for catboat

informal short for Caterpillar

short for cat-o'-nine-tails

a bag of cats Irish informal a bad-tempered personshe's a real bag of cats this morning

fight like Kilkenny cats to fight until both parties are destroyed

let the cat out of the bag to disclose a secret, often by mistake

like a cat on a hot tin roof or like a cat on hot bricks in an uneasy or agitated state

like cat and dog quarrelling savagely

look like something the cat brought in to appear dishevelled or bedraggled

not a cat in hell's chance no chance at all

not have room to swing a cat to have very little space

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

put the cat among the pigeons to introduce some violently disturbing new element

rain cats and dogs to rain very heavily

verb cats, catting or catted

(tr) to flog with a cat-o'-nine-tails

(tr) nautical to hoist (an anchor) to the cathead

(intr) a slang word for vomit

Derived forms of cat

catlike, adjectivecattish, adjective

Word Origin for cat

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

British Dictionary definitions for cat (2 of 5)

cat²

/ (kæt) /

noun

informal short for catamaran (def. 1)

British Dictionary definitions for cat (3 of 5)

cat³

/ (kæt) /

noun

short for catalytic converter
(as modifier)a cat car

adjective

short for catalytic a cat cracker

British Dictionary definitions for cat (4 of 5)

CAT

abbreviation for

computer-aided teaching

computer-assisted trading

British Dictionary definitions for cat (5 of 5)

cat.

abbreviation for

catalogue

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with cat

cat

In addition to the idioms beginning with cat

cat got one's tongue

also see:

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

cat

Idioms about cat

Origin of cat

Words nearby cat

Other definitions for cat (2 of 4)

Other definitions for cat (3 of 4)

Other definitions for cat (4 of 4)

MORE ABOUT CAT

Where does the word cat come from?

Did you know … ?

Words related to cat

How to use cat in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cat (1 of 5)

Derived forms of cat

Word Origin for cat

British Dictionary definitions for cat (2 of 5)

British Dictionary definitions for cat (3 of 5)

British Dictionary definitions for cat (4 of 5)

British Dictionary definitions for cat (5 of 5)

Other Idioms and Phrases with cat