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cat
1[ kat ]
noun
- a small domesticated carnivore, Felis domestica or F. catus, bred in a number of varieties.
- any of several carnivores of the family Felidae, such as the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, etc.
- Older Slang.
- a person, especially a man:
I'll admit that I'm not the hippest cat in town but even I know that show.
- 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.
- Games.
- Chiefly British. the game of tipcat, or the tapering piece of wood used in the game.
- a catboat.
- a catamaran.
- a catfish.
- Obsolete. the fur of the domestic cat.
- Nautical. a tackle used in hoisting an anchor to the cathead, a projecting timber or metal beam where the anchor is secured.
- 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.
- Navy Informal. catapult ( def 2 ).
- (in medieval warfare) a movable shelter for providing protection when approaching a fortification.
verb (used with object)
- to flog with a cat-o'-nine-tails.
- 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)
- British Slang. to vomit.
verb phrase
- Slang.
- to seek sexual activity indiscriminately:
Many of these celebrities have catted around despite being married.
- to spend one's time aimlessly or idly:
We're going out to the country to hunt, explore, and just cat around a bit.
Cat
2[ kat ]
- a Caterpillar tractor.
CAT
3- clear-air turbulence.
- Medicine/Medical. computerized axial tomography.
cat.
4abbreviation for
- catalog; catalogue.
- catechism.
cat
1/ kæt /
noun
- Also calleddomestic 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
- Also calledbig cat any of the larger felines, such as a lion or tiger
- any wild feline mammal of the genus Felis, such as the lynx or serval, resembling the domestic cat feline
- old-fashioned.a woman who gossips maliciously
- slang.a man; guy
- nautical a heavy tackle for hoisting an anchor to the cathead
- a short sharp-ended piece of wood used in the game of tipcat
- short for catboat
- informal.short for Caterpillar
- short for cat-o'-nine-tails
- a bag of cats informal.a bad-tempered person
she's a real bag of cats this morning
- fight like Kilkenny catsto fight until both parties are destroyed
- let the cat out of the bagto disclose a secret, often by mistake
- like a cat on a hot tin roof or like a cat on hot bricksin an uneasy or agitated state
- like cat and dogquarrelling savagely
- look like something the cat brought into appear dishevelled or bedraggled
- not a cat in hell's chanceno chance at all
- not have room to swing a catto have very little space
- play cat and mouseto play with a person or animal in a cruel or teasing way, esp before a final act of cruelty or unkindness
- put the cat among the pigeonsto introduce some violently disturbing new element
- rain cats and dogsto rain very heavily
verb
- tr to flog with a cat-o'-nine-tails
- tr nautical to hoist (an anchor) to the cathead
- intr a slang word for vomit
CAT
2abbreviation for
- computer-aided teaching
- computer-assisted trading
cat
3/ kæt /
noun
- short for catalytic converter
- ( as modifier )
a cat car
adjective
- short for catalytic
a cat cracker
cat.
4abbreviation for
- catalogue
- catamaran
cat
5/ kæt /
noun
- informal.short for catamaran
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Derived Forms
- ˈcatˌlike, adjective
- ˈcattish, adjective
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Word History and Origins
Origin of cat1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of cat1
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Idioms and Phrases
- 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.
- cat got your tongue?, (used to ask why someone is not speaking):
You've been awfully quiet—cat got your tongue?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- look what the cat dragged in, Often Facetious. (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!
- 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.
- curiosity killed the cat. curiosity ( def 5 ).
- fight like cats and dogs. fight ( def 18 ).
- rain cats and dogs. rain ( def 13 ).
More idioms and phrases containing cat
- alley cat
- bell the cat
- curiosity killed the cat
- fat cat
- grin like a Cheshire cat
- let the cat out of the bag
- like a cat on a hot brick
- look like something the cat dragged in
- look like the cat that ate the canary
- more than one way to skin a cat
- not enough room to swing a cat
- play cat and mouse
- rain cats and dogs
- when the cat's away
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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.
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