Cheshire cat
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noun
a constantly grinning cat in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.
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Let’s start with some etymology: What are the origins of the typographical word “bracket”?
First appeared around 1750, and is related to the French word “braguette” for the name of codpiece armor.
First appeared in 1610, based on the French word “baguette” for the long loaf of bread.
First appeared in 1555, and is related to the French word “raquette” for a netted bat.
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Idioms for Cheshire cat
grin like a Cheshire cat, to smile or grin inscrutably.
Words nearby Cheshire cat
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for Cheshire cat
Cultural definitions for Cheshire cat
Cheshire cat
[ (chesh-uhr) ]
A cat with an enormous grin encountered by Alice in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll. The cat tends to disappear, leaving only its smile hanging in the air.
notes for Cheshire cat
“Smiling like a Cheshire cat” refers to anyone with a conspicuous and long-lasting smile.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.