cat'spaw
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, cats·paw.
Origin:
1650–60
1650–60
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To cat'spaw
Collins
World English Dictionary
| cat's-paw | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a person used by another as a tool; dupe |
| 2. | nautical a hitch in the form of two loops, or eyes, in the bight of a line, used for attaching it to a hook |
| 3. | a pattern of ripples on the surface of water caused by a light wind |
| [(sense 1) C18: so called from the tale of the monkey who used a cat's paw to draw chestnuts out of a fire] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Cat'spaw
is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle. |
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