catgut

[ kat-guht ]

/ ˈkætˌgʌt /

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noun

a strong cord made by twisting the dried intestines of animals, as sheep, used in stringing musical instruments and tennis rackets, for surgical sutures, etc.

goat's-rue.

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Origin of catgut

1590–1600; apparently cat + gut, though allusion is obscure

Words nearby catgut

cat flea, cat flu, cat-foot, catfooted, cat got one's tongue, catgut, cath-, Cathar, catharine wheel, cat-harpin, catharsis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use catgut in a sentence

He could also fashion an interesting musical instrument in his desk by means of spools and catgut and bits of broken glass.
The Village Watch-Tower|(AKA Kate Douglas Riggs) Kate Douglas Wiggin
Her nerves felt drawn to a tension that threatened to snap them like catgut drawn too tightly on a violin.
The Lone Ranger Rides|Fran Striker
Marteau was called "the Paderewski of the Catgut," and he met with a most cordial reception among musicians.
Famous Violinists of To-day and Yesterday|Henry C. Lahee
The most dangerous and unreliable suture material for the abdominal incision is catgut (see p. 96).
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)|Various

The sutures should be of thin catgut and must not perforate the bladder or the ureteral walls.
A System of Operative Surgery, Volume IV (of 4)|Various

British Dictionary definitions for catgut

catgut

/ (ˈkætˌɡʌt) /

noun

a strong cord made from the dried intestines of sheep and other animals that is used for stringing certain musical instruments and sports rackets, and, when sterilized, as surgical ligaturesOften shortened to: gut

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

Medical definitions for catgut

catgut

[ kăt′gŭt′ ]

A tough, thin cord made from the treated and stretched intestines of certain animals, especially sheep, and used for surgical ligatures.