hellcat

American  

[hel-kat] / ˈhɛlˌkæt /

noun

1. a bad-tempered, spiteful, woman; shrew.

2. a woman with magic powers derived from evil sources; witch.

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hellcat British  

/ ˈhɛlˌkæt /

noun

1. a spiteful fierce-tempered woman

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Etymology

Origin of hellcat

First recorded in 1595–1605; hell + cat ( def. )

Example Sentences

On the Dutton Ranch strong men are just strong men, but strong women are grizzled war-torn hellcats which, especially in the fifth season, often reads as just "crazy" rather than strong.

From Salon

That charge was hard to sustain against Rosalie Edge, the conservation movement’s “hellcat.”

From New York Times

And there was no love lost between Mary Lincoln and Abraham Lincoln’s chief counselors, John Hay and John Nicolay, who referred to her as “the hellcat” behind her back.

From Washington Post

In the second act, at Café Momus, the hellcat Musetta doesn’t just flirt with the crowd but pulls off her underwear and throws it; she and her estranged lover, Marcello, boisterously kiss the same woman.

From New York Times

Cincinnati did not flop, Davis said, because on Dec. 20, when Cronin stepped down, he declared to his players that they would still be ambitious hellcats of defense and rebounding.

From New York Times