cat's cradle

¹

noun

1. a children's game in which two players alternately stretch a looped string over their fingers in such a way as to produce different designs.

2. the intricate design formed by the string in this game.

3. intricacy; complexity.

Cat's Cradle

²

noun

1. a novel (1963) by Kurt Vonnegut.

cat's cradle

noun

1. a game played by making intricate patterns with a loop of string between the fingers

Word History and Origins

Origin of cat's cradle¹

First recorded in 1760–70