catwalk

American  

[kat-wawk] / ˈkætˌwɔk /

noun

• catwalks
  plural

1. a narrow walkway, especially one high above the surrounding area, used to provide access or allow workers to stand or move, as over the stage in a theater, outside the roadway of a bridge, along the top of a railroad car, etc.

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catwalk British  

/ ˈkætˌwɔːk /

noun

1. a narrow ramp extending from the stage into the audience in a theatre, nightclub, etc, esp as used by models in a fashion show

2. a narrow pathway over the stage of a theatre, along a bridge, etc

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• catwalks
  plural

Etymology

Origin of catwalk

First recorded in 1880–85; cat ( def. ) + walk

Explanation

A catwalk is a very narrow, high bridge. You might see workers on a catwalk during the construction of a skyscraper, or you might see a model strutting her stuff on a different type of catwalk. Any high, skinny bridge can be described as a catwalk, but it's more likely to refer to an industrial walkway, like one in a factory or other workplace. The kind of catwalk on which a model struts is different — it's lower, not so precarious, and often extends into the audience. The original catwalks, in the 1880s, were on ships and backstage in theaters, and they were named for the careful, delicate way a cat walks.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

catwalk catwalks

But he was quick to laugh and joke as he remembered playing Frank, including his nightly entrance at the Roxy, marching down a catwalk in heels and Dracula cape.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026

The third floor is home to three bedrooms, all connected by a glass-floored catwalk.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026

Yachts akin to floating palaces fill the marina, celebrity chefs jet in for residencies at local restaurants and Pampelonne Beach morphs into a sandy catwalk with seasonal beach clubs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026

There were no naked robots in sight at a fashion show held in Seoul with a high-tech twist, where pairs of people and humanoids hit the catwalk in matching outfits.

From Barron's ● May 29, 2026

I thought about picking it up and waiting near the edge of the catwalk, in case Sookie needed it.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

It gave the show a propulsive energy, with the septet sprinting up and down the compass-point catwalks that extended from the stage, surrounded by pyrotechnics, walls of flame and thousands of LED lights.

From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026

The tie has also recently made a comeback on men's catwalks.

From Barron's ● Jan. 31, 2026

For the main theater, to avoid changing the building’s historic roofline, crews excavated below the original slab, lowering the stage and audience levels so catwalks, rigging and lighting grids could fit under the low profile.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2025

Haute couture catwalks couldn’t show unwearable fashion if everything “went.”

From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2025

More than a hundred buildings nestled dramatically on the rocky slope, linked by a maze of narrow paths and catwalks.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer