Cathay

American

[ka-thay] / kæˈθeɪ /

noun

Literary or Archaic.

China.

Cathay British

/ kæˈθeɪ /

noun

a literary or archaic name for China

"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

Etymology

Origin of Cathay

< Medieval Latin Cat ( h ) aya < Turkic; compare Tatar Kïtai

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:

Cathay

Cathay Pacific has ordered 11 more Airbus jets with a list price of $5.1 billion, the Hong Kong airline said Wednesday.

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026

Cathay Pacific carried 17.5 percent more passengers, while its low-cost subsidiary HK Express carried 9.8 percent more passengers compared to the same period in 2025.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

Cathay Pacific Airways’ first-half profit rose sharply, supported by increased passenger and cargo traffic despite significantly higher fuel prices.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

These are relevant trends for Cathay, which has a premium-heavy, long-haul network, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

Would Samarkand or Cathay or Cipango have suffered the same fate if visited?

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023