cat
noun
cat
1 American
[kat]
/ kæt /
noun
-
cats
plural
-
a small domesticated carnivore, Felis domestica or F. catus, bred in a number of varieties.
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any of several carnivores of the family Felidae, such as the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, etc.
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Older Slang.
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a person, especially a man.
I'll admit that I'm not the hippest cat in town but even I know that show.
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a devotee of jazz.
That cat's got a great ear, but he can't sing or play himself.
-
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a woman given to spiteful or malicious gossip.
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Games.
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Chiefly British. the game of tipcat, or the tapering piece of wood used in the game.
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a catboat.
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a catamaran.
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a catfish.
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Obsolete. the fur of the domestic cat.
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Nautical. a tackle used in hoisting an anchor to the cathead, a projecting timber or metal beam where the anchor is secured.
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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.
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Navy Informal. catapult.
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(in medieval warfare) a movable shelter for providing protection when approaching a fortification.
verb (used with object)
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cats,
present (3rd person singular)
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catted,
past participle, past
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catting
present participle
-
to flog with a cat-o'-nine-tails.
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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)
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cats,
present (3rd person singular)
-
catted,
past participle, past
-
catting
present participle
verb phrase
idioms
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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.
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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.
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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.
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rain cats and dogs. rain.
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curiosity killed the cat. curiosity.
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cat got your tongue?, (used to ask why someone is not speaking).
You've been awfully quiet—cat got your tongue?
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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.
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look what the cat dragged in, (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!
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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.
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fight like cats and dogs. fight.
Cat
2
American
[kat]
/ kæt /
Trademark.
CAT
3
American
-
clear-air turbulence.
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Medicine/Medical. computerized axial tomography.
cat.
4
American
abbreviation
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catalog; catalogue.
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catechism.
cat
1
British
/ 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
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Also called: big cat. any of the larger felines, such as a lion or tiger
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any wild feline mammal of the genus Felis, such as the lynx or serval, resembling the domestic cat
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old-fashioned a woman who gossips maliciously
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slang a man; guy
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nautical a heavy tackle for hoisting an anchor to the cathead
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a short sharp-ended piece of wood used in the game of tipcat
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short for catboat
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informal short for Caterpillar
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short for cat-o'-nine-tails
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informal a bad-tempered person
she's a real bag of cats this morning
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to fight until both parties are destroyed
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to disclose a secret, often by mistake
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in an uneasy or agitated state
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quarrelling savagely
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to appear dishevelled or bedraggled
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no chance at all
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to have very little space
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to play with a person or animal in a cruel or teasing way, esp before a final act of cruelty or unkindness
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to introduce some violently disturbing new element
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to rain very heavily
verb
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(tr) to flog with a cat-o'-nine-tails
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(tr) nautical to hoist (an anchor) to the cathead
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(intr) a slang word for vomit
cat
2
British
/ kæt /
noun
adjective
CAT
3
British
abbreviation
-
computer-aided teaching
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computer-assisted trading
cat.
4
British
abbreviation
-
catalogue
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catamaran
cat
5
British
/ kæt /
noun
cat
More Idioms
Usage
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?"
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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catsimple
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catssimple
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have cattedperfect
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has cattedperfect
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am cattingprogressive
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are cattingprogressive
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is cattingprogressive
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have been cattingperfect progressive
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has been cattingperfect progressive
Past
-
cattedsimple
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had cattedperfect
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was cattingprogressive
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were cattingprogressive
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had been cattingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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; akin to Late Latin cattus, catta (first recorded in the 4th century, presumably with the introduction of domestic cats); further origin uncertain
Explanation
What's another name for the four-legged feline that lies around on your keyboard all day and purrs? You might call it “Fluffy,” but it’s also known as a cat. If you’re in the market for a pet cat, just make sure it meows, and doesn’t roar like the lion, tiger, or jaguar, all of which are in the same family as the housecat. Domesticated as long ago as ancient Egyptian times, the cat is a fixture not only in many homes, but also in a host of English expressions — like, “when the cat’s away, the mice will play,” “it’s raining cats and dogs,” and “the cat’s pajamas.”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Iñárritu said he and Cruise didn’t discuss specific people when developing the title character, who wears cowboy boots with pajamas and is obsessed with his decrepit cat named Maggie.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
"It's really upsetting on behalf of the children, because that's not anything that they should ever be faced with, especially with a pet cat," she said.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
One Anthropic engineer wrote in his event bio that he was a “recovering AI doomer,” as well as a voracious fiction reader fond of sharing cat pictures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 27, 2026
Researchers also identified similarities between cat and human cancers affecting the blood, bones, lungs, skin, gastrointestinal system and central nervous system.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 27, 2026
Anyone who ever lost a cat never understood the cat was probably still around, just prowling in another part of its territory.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Let's have a stab in the dark, then, at who might follow in Jonathan Ross's footsteps as this year's "big dog", and who, like singer Cat Burns, could fly under the radar?
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
One passenger, Cat Jones, and her family started using the service when they moved from London to Wiltshire.
From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026
Cat transport specialist Augustus Hoovestal meets trap-neuter-release volunteers in a CVS parking lot to coordinate the transfer of cats to a veterinary clinic.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Cat euthanasia rates at Los Angeles shelters have climbed this year, partially due to limited spay and neuter vouchers and the high cost of veterinary care, animal advocates say.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026
But right now we could save Cat and her mother.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
Caterpillar CAT 1.87%increase; up pointing triangle notched higher profit in the latest quarter as sales jumped, driven by continued demand for its construction equipment, as well as its engines and generators.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
When he told them he had approved asylum and CAT protection, Rodelo says: "They told me they were taking me one way or another."
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
Yates was hospitalized multiple times and underwent CAT scans and MRIs, her husband said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2026
He ordered a barrage of tests — according to Partridge she had two MRIs, two EEGs, a SPECT, a CAT scan and a spinal tap, as well as more than a dozen different antibody tests.
From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2026
“Both your MRI and CAT scan showed nothing out of the ordinary,” it says, looking at the clipboard—and you don’t argue, because you don’t want to be shoved back into the cannon.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
"It's not going to happen in every cat. Some kittens are going to grow up just fine," she said.
From Salon ● Dec. 6, 2024
“If you’re curious about it, be a curious cat. Go find out. There’s a lot of ways to get into this industry. There is always going to be work.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2024
"She is such a beautiful cat. She didn't seem to be scared, she was pretty chill," added Mr Boorer.
From BBC ● Jan. 13, 2024
“He would move around the room like a cat. He knew those sculptures better than he knew his family.”
From New York Times ● Mar. 28, 2023
“I know you do not wish to leave, cat. Nor do I. But there is no place for me here. I tried to come back but failed. She will not have me.”
From "The Midwife's Apprentice" by Karen Cushman
The similarities may be especially useful because domestic cats often live in the same environments as people.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 27, 2026
They also both owned cats while living at the house, which explained why a catflap was already at the back door when the Harwoods arrived.
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2026
Scientists have taken a major step toward understanding cancer in cats, opening what researchers once described as a genetic "black box."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 27, 2026
In the county, health officials said infected fleas often are found on rats, free-roaming cats and opossums.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
Alexander and Beowulf each blacked an eye with candle soot, for they knew Boris and Constantin fought like two cats in a bag, as the saying goes, and often sported such bruises.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Last week, he was catted by the Association of German Friends of Cats, and by Herr Victor Fraenkl, chairman of the German League for Animal Rights, one of the Association's principal spokesmen.
From Time Magazine Archive
It was light now, and in a very few minutes the canvas was spread and the anchor catted.
From At Aboukir and Acre A Story of Napoleon's Invasion of Egypt by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty
The anchor catted, and the mainsail unfurled, they stood out for the open before a gentle breeze, without interference from the fort.
From Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini
"Ay, he's catted his anchor, sure enough; if the figure be not Hope, it must be Faith, or Charity."
From The Two Admirals by James Fenimore Cooper
The larboard-bower anchor was catted immediately, and there it was left suspended, with a range of cable overhauled, in readiness to let go at a moment's notice.
From Afloat and Ashore A Sea Tale by James Fenimore Cooper
He was a Viet Nam Vet who had been "catting" on the city streets for years.
From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2016
The lads up front have got their sprint on at the top and after some catting and mousing they finish the San Mauro Cilento in the following order: Wauters, Boaro and Taborre.
From The Guardian ● May 6, 2013
We’ve been laying our voices down, catting and scatting, and following variations of the same notes for so long we didn’t always know we were doing it.
From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia
They were heave-ho-ing, stopping and unstopping, pawling, catting, and fishing for three hours; and the sails hung from the yards all the afternoon, and were not furled until sundown.
From Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana
The subsequent "catting" and "fishing" of the big "mud-hook" was all a confused dream to me.
From The Log of a Sea-Waif Being Recollections of the First Four Years of My Sea Life by Frank T. Bullen
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.
