n. & v.
--n.
1. a small soft-furred four-legged domesticated animal, Felis catus.
2 a any wild animal of the genus Felis, e.g. a lion, tiger, or leopard. b wild cat.
3 a catlike animal of any other species (civet cat).
4 colloq. a malicious or spiteful woman.
5 sl. a jazz enthusiast.
6 Naut. CATHEAD.
7 cat-o'-nine-tails.
8 a short tapered stick in the game of tipcat.
--v.tr. (also absol.) (catted, catting) Naut. raise (an anchor) from the surface of the water to the cathead.
Phrases and idioms:
cat-and-dog (of a relationship etc.) full of quarrels. cat burglar a burglar who enters by climbing to an upper storey. cat flap (or door) a small swinging flap in an outer door, for a cat to pass in and out. cat-ice thin ice unsupported by water. cat-o'-nine-tails hist. a rope whip with nine knotted lashes for flogging sailors, soldiers, or criminals. cat's cradle a child's game in which a loop of string is held between the fingers and patterns are formed. Cat's-eye Brit. propr. one of a series of reflector studs set into a road. cat's-eye a precious stone of Sri Lanka and Malabar. cat's-foot any small plant of the genus Antennaria, having soft woolly leaves and growing on the surface of the ground. cat's-paw
1. a person used as a tool by another.
2 a slight breeze rippling the surface of the water. cat's-tail reed-mace (see REED(1)). cat's whiskers (or pyjamas) sl. an excellent person or thing. let the cat out of the bag reveal a secret, esp. involuntarily. like a cat on hot bricks (or on a hot tin roof) very agitated or agitatedly. put (or set) the cat among the pigeons cause trouble. rain cats and dogs rain very hard.
Etymology: OE catt(e) f. LL cattus