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cat's-paw

 - 2 dictionary results
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cat's-paw

  [kats-paw]
Use cat's-paw in a Sentence
–noun
1. a person used to serve the purposes of another; tool.
2. Nautical.
a. a hitch made in the bight of a rope so that two eyes are formed to hold the hook of one block of a tackle.
b. a light breeze that ruffles the surface of the water over a comparatively small area.
c. the small area ruffled by such a breeze.
Also, catspaw.

Origin:
1650–60
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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All About Cats & Kittens
Free Cat Facts, Cat Breed Guides, Cat Care Information, and More Cats
www.Petplace.com/cats
Ask a Vet a Question Now
22 Vets & Pet Experts Are Online. Ask a Question, Get an Answer ASAP!
Pet.JustAnswer.com/Vet
cat's-paw also cats·paw   (kāts'pô')
n.   pl. cat's-paws also cats·paws

  1. A person used by another as a dupe or tool.

  2. A light breeze that ruffles small areas of a water surface.

  3. Nautical A knot made by twisting a section of rope to form two adjacent eyes through which a hook is passed, used in hoisting.


[From a fable about a monkey that used a cat's paw to pull chestnuts out of a fire.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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