/kat'euh wom"peuhs/ , Chiefly Midland and Southern U.S.
adj.
1. askew; awry.
2. positioned diagonally; cater-cornered.
adv.
3. diagonally; obliquely: We took a shortcut and walked catawampus across the field.
Also, cattywampus .
[ 1830-40 for earlier sense "utterly"; cata- diagonally (see CATER- CORNERED) + -wampus, perh. akin to WAMPISH ]