cat's-paw
or cats·paw
a person used to serve the purposes of another; tool.
Nautical.
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.
a light breeze that ruffles the surface of the water over a comparatively small area.
the small area ruffled by such a breeze.
Origin of cat's-paw
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use cat's-paw in a sentence
Now and again a cats-paw would ripple across the plain of water, but there were no clouds, there was no sight of land.
"The Gallant, Good Riou", and Jack Renton | Louis BeckeAnd the American Legion began to function as a "cats paw" for the men behind the scenes.
The Centralia Conspiracy | Ralph ChaplinThe touching of the pocket with the fingers reminded me of nothing so much as the motion of a cats paw in playing.
The Life and Letters of Lafcadio Hearn, Volume 2 | Elizabeth BislandYouve made a cats-paw of that boy; youve dragged the sweetest and most innocent girl in the world into your filthy scheme.
The Black Star | Johnston McCulleyA few months later, Henry had discovered that Ferdinand and Maximilian were using him as a cats-paw.
Ten Tudor Statesmen | Arthur D. Innes
British Dictionary definitions for cat's-paw
a person used by another as a tool; dupe
nautical a hitch in the form of two loops, or eyes, in the bight of a line, used for attaching it to a hook
a pattern of ripples on the surface of water caused by a light wind
Origin of cat's-paw
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with cat's-paw
A dupe or tool for another, a sucker, as in You always try to make a cat's paw of me, but I refuse to do any more of your work. This term alludes to a very old tale about a monkey that persuades a cat to pull chestnuts out of the fire so as to avoid burning its own paws. The story dates from the 16th century and versions of it (some with a dog) exist in many languages.
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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