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hellcat

[ hel-kat ]
/ ˈhɛlˌkæt /
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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR hellcat ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a bad-tempered, spiteful, woman; shrew.
a woman with magic powers derived from evil sources; witch.

RELATED WORDS

shrew, harpy, cat, harridan, witch, virago, termagant, she-devil, dragon, Xanthippe

Nearby words

  1. hellas,
  2. hellbender,
  3. hellbent,
  4. hellbox,
  5. hellbroth,
  6. helldiver,
  7. helle,
  8. hellebore,
  9. helleborein,
  10. helleborin

Origin of hellcat

First recorded in 1595–1605; hell + cat
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hellcat

  • I hope he doesn't realize I'm not the hellcat he seems to think I am.

    Suzy|Watson Parker

British Dictionary definitions for hellcat

hellcat

/ (ˈhɛlˌkæt) /

noun

a spiteful fierce-tempered woman
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

Word Origin and History for hellcat

hellcat

n.

also hell-cat, "volatile woman," c.1600, from hell + cat.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper