Pronunciations (9)
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/ˈkæt/
Pronunciation notes
- Received-Pronunciation
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[ˈkʰæt]
Pronunciation notes
- Received-Pronunciation
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/ˈkæt/
Pronunciation notes
- General-American
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[ˈkʰæt]
Pronunciation notes
- General-American
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[ˈkʰeə̯t]
Pronunciation notes
- Inland-Northern-American
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/ˈkɛə̯t/
Pronunciation notes
- Inland-Northern-American
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[ˈkʰɛə̯t]
Pronunciation notes
- Inland-Northern-American
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/ˈkɛt/
Pronunciation notes
- Hong-Kong
- New-Zealand
- Singapore
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[ˈkʰɛt]
Pronunciation notes
- Hong-Kong
- New-Zealand
- Singapore
Noun
Terms relating to animals. A mammal of the family Felidae.
Usage- Countable
- Examples
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More examples (1)
Mammals need two genes to make the taste receptor for sugar. Studies in various cats (tigers, cheetahs and domestic cats) showed that one of these genes has mutated and no longer works.
Terms relating to animals. A mammal of the family Felidae. A carnivorous, four-legged, generally furry domesticated species (Felis catus) of feline animal, commonly kept as a house pet.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
- Examples
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The cat is sleeping on the chair.
More examples (2)
At twilight in the summer there is never anybody to fear—man, woman, or cat—in the chambers and at that hour the mice come out. They do not eat parchment or foolscap or red tape, but they eat the luncheon crumbs.
A major genetic survey of nearly 1,000 feral and domestic cats has revealed that every breed of household cat alive today originates from just five lineages which lived alongside ancient settlers in the Fertile Crescent, an area stretching from the eastern Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf.
A group of wild cats is called a destruction.
Terms relating to animals. A mammal of the family Felidae. A carnivorous, four-legged, generally furry domesticated species (Felis catus) of feline animal, commonly kept as a house pet. The flesh of this animal eaten as food.
Usage- Uncountable
- Examples
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More examples (2)
“[…]—Say, do you mind telling me if people around here really eat cats?” He felt a shiver in the pit of his stomach. “Do they eat cat?” said the little old man, profoundly shocked.
You do not eat cat simply for the thrill of eating cat. You eat cat because cats have a lively jingshen, or spirit, and thus by eating the animal you will improve your spirits.
I ate at a Chinese restaurant once, even though my friends told me I would probably be eating cat and dog disguised as chicken.
Terms relating to animals. A mammal of the family Felidae. Any similar, chiefly non-domesticated, carnivorous mammal of the family Felidae, which includes bobcats, caracals, cheetahs, cougars, leopards, lions, lynxes, tigers, and other such species.
Usage- Countable
- Uncountable
- Examples
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I grabbed it and ran over to the lion from behind, the cat still chewing thoughtfully on Silent's arm.
If you should someday round a corner on the hiking trail and come face to face with a mountain lion, you would probably never forget the mighty cat.
More examples (1)
She felt privileged to be here, living the experience inside the majestic cat [a tiger]; privileged to be part of their bond, even for only a few hours.
Terms relating to animals. Chiefly with a descriptive word: an animal not of the family Felidae which (somewhat) resembles a domestic feline (etymology 1, noun sense 1.1.1).
Usage- broadly
- Countable
- Examples
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civet cat polecat
Terms relating to people. An angry or spiteful person, especially a woman.
Usage- Countable
- Derogatory
- Figurative
- Offensive
- Uncountable
- Examples
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But, ere one rapid moon its tale has told, / He finds his prize — a cat — a slut — a scold.
Terms relating to people. An ordinary person, especially a man; a fellow, a guy.
Usage- Countable
- Dated
- Figurative
- Slang
- Uncountable
- Examples
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Now you've listened to my story / Here's the point that I have made / Cats were born to give chicks fever / Be it Fahrenheit or Centigrade
Didn't know what time it was the lights were low / I leaned back on my radio / Some cat was layin' down some rock'n'roll 'lotta soul, he said
More examples (4)
1973 December, "Books Noted", discussing A Dialogue (by James Baldwin and Nikki Giovanni), in Black World, Johnson Publishing Company, 77. BALDWIN: That's what we were talking about before. And by the way, you did not have to tell me that you think your father is a groovy cat; I knew that.
What fags are true I know what Mack's might do I'm quite familiar with cats like you Provoke to get me give me a good reason to smoke me Try to break me but never wrote me)
I started showing up early for every team practice, and when all those other cats jetted to hit the showers, I put in even more work on the court, eliminating my weaknesses, practicing drills and perfecting my outside shot.
I am sick of rappers claiming they hot when they really not I am sick of rappers bragging about shit they ain’t really got These cats stay rapping about cars they don’t own I am sick of rappers bragging about models they don’t bone.[…] And I am sick of all these cats with no talent That never lived in the hood but yet their lyrics be so violent.
Terms relating to people. Synonym of itinerant worker.
Usage- US usage
- Countable
- Figurative
- Slang
- Uncountable
Terms relating to people. A jazz musician; also, an enthusiast of jazz music.
Usage- Countable
- Figurative
- Slang
- Uncountable
- Synonyms
- Examples
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a jazz cat
I turn on the radio / There's some cat on the saxophone / Laying down a litany of excuses
Terms relating to people. Synonym of prostitute.
Usage- Countable
- Figurative
- Obsolete
- Slang
- Uncountable
- Examples
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More examples (1)
"Tell me. Willie said there was a cat in love with you. That isn't true, is it?" "Yes. It's true," Hudson corrects her, letting her think that by "cat" he means prostitute.
Terms relating to things. A double tripod for holding a plate, etc., with six feet, of which three rest on the ground in whatever position it is placed.
Usage- broadly
- Countable
- Uncountable
Terms relating to things. The game of trap ball; also (countable), the trap in that game.
Usage- Archaic
- broadly
- Uncountable
Terms relating to things. The pointed piece of wood that is struck in the game of tipcat.
Usage- Archaic
- broadly
- Countable
Terms relating to things. A strong tackle used to hoist an anchor to the cathead of a ship.
Usage- broadly
- Countable
- Uncountable
- Examples
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Overhaul down & hook the cat, haul taut. Walk away the cat. When up, pass the cat head stopper. Hook the fish in & fish the anchor.
Terms relating to things. Now only in catboat: a sturdy merchant sailing vessel.
Usage- Archaic
- broadly
- Countable
- Uncountable
Terms relating to things. A wheeled shelter, used in the Middle Ages to protect assailants approaching besieged enemy defences; a cathouse.
Usage- broadly
- Countable
- Historical
- Uncountable
- Examples
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From behind the narrow slits in the walls of Castellar, crossbowmen and archers took aim at the juddering cat as it came closer.
Terms relating to things. A vagina or vulva.
Usage- broadly
- Countable
- Slang
- Uncountable
- Vulgar
- Examples
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"What the hell, so this broad's got a prematurely-gray cat."
As she came up, she tried to put her cat in his face for some licking.
More examples (1)
I had a notion to walk over to her, rip her apron off, sling her housecoat open and put my finger inside her cat to see if she was wet or freshly fucked because the dream I had earlier was beginning to really annoy me.
Verb
To hoist (an anchor) by its ring so that it hangs at the cathead.
Usage- Transitive
- Synonyms
- Examples
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The anchors were catted at the bows of the yacht […]
To flog with a cat-o'-nine-tails.
Usage- Transitive
To vomit.
Usage- Archaic
- Slang
- Examples
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‘He's going to cat, Maxim,’ said the Pussum warningly. The suave young Russian rose and took Halliday by the arm, leading him away.
To go wandering at night.
- Examples
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More examples (1)
"He doesn't realize that I know," Lord Callan said, "but it's been pretty obvious that most of his catting about London's darker alleys has been a search for his origins.
This was going to be my first try at catting out. I went looking for somebody to cat with me.
My own dear wife could have tended to his needs if she hadn't been out catting.
To gossip in a catty manner.
- Examples
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Men from young to middleaged, with matt faces, vivacious and brightly dressed, catted together in gay groups.
They smiled, touched, rolled their eyes and raised their eyebrows, as they relived the audition and catted about some of their competition.
More examples (1)
In the story, Lady Ina gossiped and catted about a parade of the rich and famous—Jackie Kennedy looking like an exaggerated version of herself, Princess Margaret so boring she made people fall asleep, Gloria Vanderbilt so ditzy she didn't recognize her first husband.
Noun
A program and command in Unix that reads one or more files and directs their content to the standard output.
Verb
To apply the cat command to (one or more files).
Usage- Transitive
To dump large amounts of data on (an unprepared target), usually with no intention of browsing it carefully.
Usage- Slang
Noun
A street name of the drug methcathinone.
Usage- Slang
Abbreviation of caterpillar. Any of a variety of earth-moving machines. (from their manufacturer Caterpillar Inc.)
Usage- Slang
Abbreviation of caterpillar. A ground vehicle which uses caterpillar tracks, especially tractors, trucks, minibuses, and snow groomers.
Adjective
Catastrophic; terrible, disastrous.
Usage- Ireland
- Colloquial
- not-comparable
- Examples
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The weather was cat, so they returned home early.
Noun
feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar
- Synonyms
an informal term for a youth or man
- Broader terms
- Examples
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a nice guy
the guy's only doing it for some doll
More examples (1)
the poor sod couldn't even buy a drink
a spiteful woman gossip
- Examples
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what a cat she is!
the leaves of the shrub Catha edulis which are chewed like tobacco or used to make tea; has the effect of a euphoric stimulant
- Broader terms
- Examples
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in Yemen, kat is used daily by 85% of adults
a whip with nine knotted cords
- Synonyms
- Broader terms
- Examples
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British sailors feared the cat
a large tracked vehicle that is propelled by two endless metal belts; frequently used for moving earth in construction and farm work
- Synonyms
- Broader terms
any of several large cats typically able to roar and living in the wild
- Synonyms
any of various lithe-bodied roundheaded fissiped mammals, many with retractile claws
- Broader terms
Verb
beat with a cat-o'-nine-tails
eject the contents of the stomach through the mouth
- Synonyms
- Examples
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After drinking too much, the students vomited
He purged continuously
More examples (1)
The patient regurgitated the food we gave him last night