Cathay

American

[ka-they] / 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.

A round-trip flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong in Cathay Pacific’s Aria Suite for early June was priced at approximately $10,000 on Monday, according to the carrier’s website.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 2026

But Hong Kong aviation giant Cathay Pacific has raised its surcharges several times since February, even as it announced extra flights to Europe for what it called an "upsurge in market demand".

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Air France-KLM has said it plans to increase prices on long-haul flights, while Cathay Pacific is raising its fuel surcharge.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Delta Air Lines, British Airways and Cathay Pacific are among carriers that in recent days have extended cancellations through the coming months.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 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

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