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let the cat out of the bag

 - 8 dictionary results
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cat

  [kat] noun, verb, cat⋅ted, cat⋅ting.
Use let the cat out of the bag in a Sentence
–noun
1. a small domesticated carnivore, Felis domestica or F. catus, bred in a number of varieties.
2. any of several carnivores of the family Felidae, as the lion, tiger, leopard or jaguar, etc.
3. Slang.
a. a person, esp. a man.
b. a devotee of jazz.
4. a woman given to spiteful or malicious gossip.
5. the fur of the domestic cat.
6. a cat-o'-nine-tails.
7. Games.
a. Chiefly British. the tapering piece of wood used in the game of tipcat.
b. Chiefly British. the game itself.
c. four old cat, one old cat, three old cat, two old cat.
8. a catboat.
9. a catamaran.
10. a catfish.
11. Nautical. a tackle used in hoisting an anchor to the cathead.
12. 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.
13. Navy Informal. catapult (def. 2).
14. (in medieval warfare) a movable shelter for providing protection when approaching a fortification.
–verb (used with object)
15. to flog with a cat-o'-nine-tails.
16. Nautical. to hoist (an anchor) and secure to a cathead.
–verb (used without object)
17. British Slang. to vomit.
—Verb phrase
18. cat around, Slang.
a. to spend one's time aimlessly or idly.
b. to seek sexual activity indiscriminately; tomcat.
—Idioms
19. bell the cat, to attempt something formidable or dangerous.
20. let the cat out of the bag, to divulge a secret, esp. inadvertently or carelessly: He let the cat out of the bag, and the surprise party wasn't a surprise after all.
Origin:
bef. 900; ME cat, catte, OE catt (masc.), catte (fem.); c. OFris, MD katte, OHG kazza, ON kǫttr, Ir cat, Welsh cath (Slavic *kotŭ, Lith katė̃ perh. < Gmc), LL cattus, catta (first attested in the 4th century, presumably with the introduction of domestic cats); ult. orig. obscure
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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cat   (kāt)   
n.  

    1. A small carnivorous mammal (Felis catus or F. domesticus) domesticated since early times as a catcher of rats and mice and as a pet and existing in several distinctive breeds and varieties.

    2. Any of various other carnivorous mammals of the family Felidae, which includes the lion, tiger, leopard, and lynx.

    3. The fur of a domestic cat.

    4. A person, especially a man.

    5. A player or devotee of jazz music.

    6. A cathead.

    7. A device for raising an anchor to the cathead.

    8. A catboat.

    9. A catamaran.

  2. Informal A woman who is regarded as spiteful.

  3. Slang

    1. A person, especially a man.

    2. A player or devotee of jazz music.

    3. A cathead.

    4. A device for raising an anchor to the cathead.

    5. A catboat.

    6. A catamaran.

  4. A cat-o'-nine-tails.

  5. A catfish.

  6. Nautical

    1. A cathead.

    2. A device for raising an anchor to the cathead.

    3. A catboat.

    4. A catamaran.

v.   cat·ted, cat·ting, cats

v.   tr. Nautical
To hoist an anchor to (the cathead).
v.   intr. Slang
To look for sexual partners; have an affair or affairs: "catting around with every lady in sight" (Gore Vidal).

[Middle English, from Old English catt, from Germanic *kattuz. Sense 6d, short for catamaran.]
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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Cultural Dictionary

let the cat out of the bag

To disclose a secret: “The mayor's visit was to be kept strictly confidential, but someone must have let the cat out of the bag, because the airport was swarming with reporters.”

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
cat

  1. n.
    a fellow; a guy; a dude. : Now, this cat wants to borrow some money from me. What should I do?
  2. in.
    to empty one's stomach; to vomit. : Looks like somebody catted in the bushes.
  3. n.
    a gossipy woman. : Mary can be such a cat, you know.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

CAT 
1975, medical acronym for computerized axial tomography.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: CAT
Function: abbreviation
computed axial tomography; computerized axial tomography
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Medical Dictionary

CAT abbr.
computerized axial tomography

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

let the cat out of the bag

Give away a secret, as in Mom let the cat out of the bag and told us Karen was engaged. This expression alludes to the dishonest practice of a merchant substituting a worthless cat for a valuable pig, which is discovered only when the buyer gets home and opens the bag. [Mid-1700s] Also see pig in a poke.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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