cat-o'-nine-tails

American  

[kat-uh-nahyn-teylz] / ˌkæt əˈnaɪnˌteɪlz /

noun

plural

cat-o'-nine-tails

1. a whip, usually having nine knotted lines or cords fastened to a handle, used for flogging.

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cat-o'-nine-tails British  

noun

1. Often shortened to: cat.  a rope whip consisting of nine knotted thongs, used formerly to flog prisoners

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Etymology

Origin of cat-o'-nine-tails

First recorded in 1685–95; so called in allusion to a cat's scratches

Related Words

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