cat
noun
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cat
1 American
[kat]
/ kæt /
noun
cats
plural
-
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.
-
-
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)
cats,
present (3rd person singular)
catted,
past participle, past
catting
present participle
-
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)
cats,
present (3rd person singular)
catted,
past participle, past
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
-
clear-air turbulence.
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Medicine/Medical. computerized axial tomography.
cat.
4
American
abbreviation
-
catalog; catalogue.
-
catechism.
cat
1
British
/ kæt /
noun
-
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
-
(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
-
computer-aided teaching
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computer-assisted trading
cat.
4
British
abbreviation
-
catalogue
-
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
-
catsimple
-
catssimple
-
have cattedperfect
-
has cattedperfect
-
am cattingprogressive
-
are cattingprogressive
-
is cattingprogressive
-
have been cattingperfect progressive
-
has been cattingperfect progressive
Past
-
cattedsimple
-
had cattedperfect
-
was cattingprogressive
-
were cattingprogressive
-
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:
Murphy said the cat had been microchipped so the owner was able to confirm it was theirs and that its name was Blaze.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
But I always trust the instincts of a good cat.
From Salon ● Jul. 17, 2026
Perhaps most frustrating is Mr. Bailey’s insistence on the cat as a metonym for Spark.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
The post was made by Sia Barbi in collaboration with animal rescue group Stray Cat Alliance after the cat had been abandoned at the Hancock Park home.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
“What were they doing with massive amounts of cat litter?”
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
At last year's Club World Cup final, which was also organised by Fifa and held in New Jersey, there was a 24-minute half-time featuring live music from Coldplay, J Balvin, Doja Cat and Tems.
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
New producer Jimmy Miller helps strip the band down to its rawest, raunchiest essence on songs like “Sympathy for the Devil,” “Stray Cat Blues,” and “Street Fighting Man.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
Growth is good, and the state’s senior elected official, Gov. Greg Abbott, stopped by a Cat manufacturing facility last week to celebrate the company’s expansion of job training.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
Executives said products like Tastefuls snacks and high-protein Tiki Cat food could still drive growth despite a shaky consumer backdrop.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
Mom called it a meltdown, but to Cat it was tight and sharp.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
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
A hospital stay, CAT scan and MRI scan followed and Lowri was told to come in for the results.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Yates was hospitalized multiple times and underwent CAT scans and MRIs, her husband said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2026
The latter includes makers of memory chips, hard drives, fiber-optic cabling and even power generators—Caterpillar’s CAT -0.21%decrease; red down pointing triangle 34% gain so far this year is leading the Dow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026
I raised hell and bargained the three weeks down to one for the CAT scan, two to see the doctor.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
"There's just that little spark of hope, even though I know a body has been found clutching a cat. Hard cold facts are pointing to the bodies they've found."
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
“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
The man concludes, “Reconsidering my wife’s desire to get a cat. Questioning a lot of things in life now …”
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 13, 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
“Mr. Klaus is a landlord and also a cat. A large cat. Usually he attacks ankles. This time it was the head. My head. It was a very surprising attack. I wasn't prepared.”
From "Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures" by Kate DiCamillo
It is true that the author loved cats.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
As they exited the modeling industry, they pivoted into animal activism and volunteering for rescue groups and trap, neuter and return programs for cats.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 17, 2026
With both cats secured, Malcolm says he attempted to catch up with the group - but saw they were now out of their vehicles.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Battiston notes that although cats can help reduce invasive mantis numbers, they cannot distinguish between invasive and native species.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
"Dad would have liked to come," Anastasia told Sam, "but you know with his allergies, he was worried about being around dogs and cats."
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
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
It was light now, and in a very few minutes the canvas was spread and the anchor catted.
From At Aboukir and Acre A Story of Napoleon's Invasion of Egypt by Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
A schoolboy's game, played with small round balls made of stone dust, catted marbles.
From 1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue by Grose, Francis
I catted them till they wuz cured thereof; for lo! they wuz ez a child under my care.
From "Swingin Round the Cirkle." His Ideas Of Men, Politics, And Things, As Set Forth In His Letters To The Public Press, During The Year 1866. by Nast, Thomas
And then word came from the captain, demanding to know what the delay was about in getting the anchor catted, so that the Georgetown might proceed.
From Two Boys of the Battleship or For the Honor of Uncle Sam by Webster, Frank V.
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 subsequent "catting" and "fishing" of the big "mud-hook" was all a confused dream to me.
From The Log of a Sea-Waif Being Recollections of the First Four Years of My Sea Life by Bullen, Frank T.
Martin will see to the catting of the anchor.”
From The Missing Merchantman by Overend, William Heysham
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.
