cat
noun
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cat
1 American
[kat]
/ kæt /
noun
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cats
plural
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a small domesticated carnivore, Felis domestica or F. catus, bred in a number of varieties.
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any of several carnivores of the family Felidae, such as the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, etc.
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Older Slang.
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a person, especially a man.
I'll admit that I'm not the hippest cat in town but even I know that show.
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a devotee of jazz.
That cat's got a great ear, but he can't sing or play himself.
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a woman given to spiteful or malicious gossip.
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Games.
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Chiefly British. the game of tipcat, or the tapering piece of wood used in the game.
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a catboat.
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a catamaran.
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a catfish.
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Obsolete. the fur of the domestic cat.
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Nautical. a tackle used in hoisting an anchor to the cathead, a projecting timber or metal beam where the anchor is secured.
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a double tripod having six legs but resting on only three no matter how it is set down, usually used before or over a fire.
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Navy Informal. catapult.
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(in medieval warfare) a movable shelter for providing protection when approaching a fortification.
verb (used with object)
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cats,
present (3rd person singular)
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catted,
past participle, past
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catting
present participle
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to flog with a cat-o'-nine-tails.
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Nautical. to hoist (an anchor) and secure to a cathead, a projecting timber or metal beam where the anchor is secured.
verb (used without object)
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cats,
present (3rd person singular)
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catted,
past participle, past
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catting
present participle
verb phrase
idioms
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look like something the cat dragged in, to look tired, unkempt, ugly, etc..
You look like something the cat dragged in—go have a shower and a nap.
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the cat that ate / swallowed / got the canary, someone who is self-satisfied, proud, or pleased.
She won the contest by a hair and walked around like the cat that ate the canary for the rest of the month.
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bell the cat, to attempt something formidable or dangerous.
The question at the moment is who will bell the cat, since nobody on the board is willing to tell the CEO she's fired.
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rain cats and dogs. rain.
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curiosity killed the cat. curiosity.
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cat got your tongue?, (used to ask why someone is not speaking).
You've been awfully quiet—cat got your tongue?
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let the cat out of the bag, to divulge a secret, especially inadvertently or carelessly.
He let the cat out of the bag, and the surprise party wasn't a surprise after all.
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look what the cat dragged in, (used to acknowledge someone's arrival while implying that they look bad or are unwelcome).
Darn it, he's here. Look what the cat dragged in!
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enough to make a cat laugh, very funny, outrageous, or absurd.
Hearing these politicians talk about the lives of everyday people is enough to make a cat laugh.
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fight like cats and dogs. fight.
Cat
2
American
[kat]
/ kæt /
Trademark.
CAT
3
American
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clear-air turbulence.
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Medicine/Medical. computerized axial tomography.
cat.
4
American
abbreviation
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catalog; catalogue.
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catechism.
cat
1
British
/ kæt /
noun
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Also called: domestic cat. a small domesticated feline mammal, Felis catus (or domesticus ), having thick soft fur and occurring in many breeds in which the colour of the fur varies greatly: kept as a pet or to catch rats and mice
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Also called: big cat. any of the larger felines, such as a lion or tiger
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any wild feline mammal of the genus Felis, such as the lynx or serval, resembling the domestic cat
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old-fashioned a woman who gossips maliciously
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slang a man; guy
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nautical a heavy tackle for hoisting an anchor to the cathead
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a short sharp-ended piece of wood used in the game of tipcat
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short for catboat
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informal short for Caterpillar
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short for cat-o'-nine-tails
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informal a bad-tempered person
she's a real bag of cats this morning
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to fight until both parties are destroyed
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to disclose a secret, often by mistake
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in an uneasy or agitated state
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quarrelling savagely
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to appear dishevelled or bedraggled
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no chance at all
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to have very little space
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to play with a person or animal in a cruel or teasing way, esp before a final act of cruelty or unkindness
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to introduce some violently disturbing new element
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to rain very heavily
verb
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(tr) to flog with a cat-o'-nine-tails
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(tr) nautical to hoist (an anchor) to the cathead
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(intr) a slang word for vomit
cat
2
British
/ kæt /
noun
adjective
CAT
3
British
abbreviation
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computer-aided teaching
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computer-assisted trading
cat.
4
British
abbreviation
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catalogue
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catamaran
cat
5
British
/ kæt /
noun
cat
More Idioms
Usage
Where does the word cat come from? While cats may be more enigmatic and reclusive than dogs in real life, when it comes to the source of the word cat, it’s a bit easier to grasp. The origin of the word dog is one of the great mysteries of English etymology. Learn why in our slideshow “‘Dog,’ ‘Boy,’ And Other Words That We Don’t Know Where They Came From."The word cat is recorded in Old English, and hasn't changed much since. (Hey, if it isn’t broken why fix it?) The masculine form was catt, the feminine catte. The word cat is most likely related to the Late Latin cattus, source of some other cat words you may have heard, including the Spanish gato and French chat. Now that you know how cats got their name, why not find out how some of our other most beloved pets got theirs in the slideshow: "Where Do The Words For Our Pets Come From?"
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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catsimple
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catssimple
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have cattedperfect
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has cattedperfect
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am cattingprogressive
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are cattingprogressive
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is cattingprogressive
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have been cattingperfect progressive
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has been cattingperfect progressive
Past
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cattedsimple
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had cattedperfect
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was cattingprogressive
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were cattingprogressive
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had been cattingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of cat
First recorded before 900; Middle English cat, catte, Old English catt (masculine), catte (feminine); cognate with Old Frisian, Middle Dutch katte, Old High German kazza, Old Norse kǫttr; akin to Late Latin cattus, catta (first recorded in the 4th century, presumably with the introduction of domestic cats); further origin uncertain
Explanation
What's another name for the four-legged feline that lies around on your keyboard all day and purrs? You might call it “Fluffy,” but it’s also known as a cat. If you’re in the market for a pet cat, just make sure it meows, and doesn’t roar like the lion, tiger, or jaguar, all of which are in the same family as the housecat. Domesticated as long ago as ancient Egyptian times, the cat is a fixture not only in many homes, but also in a host of English expressions — like, “when the cat’s away, the mice will play,” “it’s raining cats and dogs,” and “the cat’s pajamas.”
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:
But then I found a pet adoption company online and a photo of a tuxedo cat named Omelette caught my eye.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
We are planning to get coverage for our other cat, Omelette, while she’s still young and healthy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
"I just remember saying, 'Oh, the cat in the cupboard, the cat in the cupboard, that sounds nice'," he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
He explained the idea came when they had to move their cat flap and "it went to the corner of the house... which meant that he came into the house via a cupboard".
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
Harry had acquired sixteen cats, but he didn’t take care of them; the most frequent comment that reporters and tourists had upon leaving the lodge was that it stank of cat urine.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
The actor joins Lucy Owen to discuss The Cat in the Cupboard.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
On Monday morning, Samba was rushed from her home at Project Survival’s Cat Haven in Dunlap to the Fresno Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center, about 44 miles west, after suffering two rattlesnake bites.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
Creepy Cat in the Hat is now a thing.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 24, 2026
There is a point at which viral dancing videos and AI-generated clips of the Cat in the Hat become something potentially more sinister, with real-world consequences beyond their impact on teenage imaginations.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Cat would be sobbing, her tiny face blotched, and her mother rocking back and forth outside, both of them with nowhere to go.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
Caterpillar CAT 1.87%increase; up pointing triangle notched higher profit in the latest quarter as sales jumped, driven by continued demand for its construction equipment, as well as its engines and generators.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
CAT attracted ffin because it "struck me as a place where you could do very hands-on biology and work on off-grid systems, and also have an education component and a visitor centre".
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
According to the DHS, Rodelo had been issued with a "final order of removal for violating the terms of his parole" in February, the month he says he was granted CAT protection.
From BBC ● May 22, 2026
Caterpillar CAT -0.96%decrease; red down pointing triangle notched a higher profit and jump in sales during the first quarter, driven by continued demand for its construction equipment, as well as its engines and generators.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 30, 2026
“I want to go over your father’s CAT scans with you,” he said.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
“If you’re curious about it, be a curious cat. Go find out. There’s a lot of ways to get into this industry. There is always going to be work.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2024
“Ordinary life, ordinary gym, a cat. Ordinary job at an unremarkable office,” the lawyer wrote.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 8, 2024
"It's a cat. You don't eat a cat," he added.
From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2023
“With everyone else, if you say the costume is a cat, it’s a cat. But he would make a costume of what cats make you feel like.”
From New York Times ● Dec. 28, 2022
“He was a cat. A big cat. I don’t remember much about him.”
From "Crenshaw" by Katherine Applegate
My friend Arran budgets $200 monthly for his two cats, Chaplin and Mila.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
“People have become like cats rather than dogs. You just never know what they’re going to go for.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
A few days later, rifling through my wallet, I passed a small red-and-gold card decorated with lucky cats and a rising sun.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
They also take cats in for veterinary care and neutering if needed.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
With the bored indifference that cats exhibit even when they are doing as they have been told, the feline troublemaker moseyed over to Cassiopeia and allowed herself to be picked up.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Last week, he was catted by the Association of German Friends of Cats, and by Herr Victor Fraenkl, chairman of the German League for Animal Rights, one of the Association's principal spokesmen.
From Time Magazine Archive
A common form was eighteen feet square, with seven feet stud, stone fireplaces, with catted chimney, and a hip-roof covered with thatch.
From The New England Magazine Volume 1, No. 3, March, 1886 Bay State Monthly Volume 4, No. 3, March, 1886 by Various
The anchor catted, and the mainsail unfurled, they stood out for the open before a gentle breeze, without interference from the fort.
From Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini
In about half an hour, which was near high water, the order was given to man the windlass, and again the anchor was catted; but not a word was said about the last time.
From Two Years Before the Mast by Richard Henry Dana
At daylight next morning we catted the anchors, made all sail, and were the next day reposing like a swan in a lake at Black River.
From A Sailor of King George by A. Beckford Bevan
He was a Viet Nam Vet who had been "catting" on the city streets for years.
From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2016
The lads up front have got their sprint on at the top and after some catting and mousing they finish the San Mauro Cilento in the following order: Wauters, Boaro and Taborre.
From The Guardian ● May 6, 2013
We’ve been laying our voices down, catting and scatting, and following variations of the same notes for so long we didn’t always know we were doing it.
From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia
The long-drawn wails, giving the time for the pull of the men catting the anchor, came to an end, and he lowered his voice.
From Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad
“Have you got any of it yourself?” asked the patient, catting him short.
From The Fire Trumpet A Romance of the Cape Frontier by Bertram Mitford
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
