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definitions

cat's whisker

noun

cat whisker.

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Nearby words

  1. cat's cradle,
  2. cat's cry syndrome,
  3. cat's meow,
  4. cat's pajamas,
  5. cat's paw,
  6. cat's whiskers,
  7. cat's-claw,
  8. cat's-ear,
  9. cat's-eye,
  10. cat's-foot

Origin of cat's whisker

First recorded in 1910–15

cat whisker

or cat's whisker

noun

Radio. a stiff wire forming one contact in a crystal detector and used for probing the crystal.
Electronics. any wire for making contact with a semiconductor.

Origin of cat whisker

First recorded in 1910–15
Also called whisker.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for cat's whisker

cat's whisker

noun

a pointed wire used to make contact with the crystal in a crystal radio receiver
any wire used to make contact with a semiconductor
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