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catgut

 - 7 dictionary results

cat⋅gut

  [kat-guht]
Use catgut in a Sentence
–noun
1. a strong cord made by twisting the dried intestines of animals, as sheep, used in stringing musical instruments and tennis rackets, for surgical sutures, etc.
2. goat's-rue.
Origin:
1590–1600; appar. cat1 + gut, though allusion is obscure

goat's-rue

  [gohts-roo]
–noun
1. Also called catgut. a hairy American plant, Tephrosia virginiana, of the legume family, having yellow and pink flowers.
2. a European plant, Galega officinalis, of the legume family, formerly used in medicine.
Origin:
1570–80
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To catgut
cat·gut   (kāt'gŭt')   
n.  A tough thin cord made from the treated and stretched intestines of certain animals, especially sheep, and used for stringing musical instruments and tennis rackets and for surgical ligatures.
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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Word Origin & History

catgut 
1599, from kitgut from obsolete kit "fiddle." It was actually made from the intestines of sheep.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: cat·gut
Pronunciation: -"g&t
Function: noun
: a tough cord made usually from sheep intestines and used especially for sutures inclosing wounds
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

catgut cat·gut (kāt'gŭt')
n.
A tough, thin cord made from the treated and stretched intestines of certain animals, especially sheep, and used for surgical ligatures.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Encyclopedia

catgut

tough cord made from the intestines of certain animals, particularly sheep, and used for surgical ligatures and sutures, for the strings of violins and related instruments, and for the strings of tennis rackets and archery bows. The ancient Egyptians and Babylonians and the later Greeks and Romans used the intestines of herbivorous animals for much the same purposes. The origin of the term catgut is obscure; it is not known if the intestines of cats were ever put to such uses.

Learn more about catgut with a free trial on Britannica.com.

Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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