Cats

cat  (kt)

n.

1.

a. 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.

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

c. The fur of a domestic cat.

2. Informal A woman who is regarded as spiteful.

3. Slang

a. A person, especially a man.

b. A player or devotee of jazz music.

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

5. A catfish.

6. Nautical

a. A cathead.

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

c. A catboat.

d. 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.

Idiom:

let the cat out of the bag

To let a secret be known.

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

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Cats

See also animals.

ailuromania

an abnormal love of cats.

ailurophile, aelurophile

a lover of cats. Also called felinophile, philofelist, philogalist.

ailurophobia, aelurophobia, elurophobia

an abnormal fear of cats. Also called felinophobia.

felinophile

ailurophile.

galeophilia

an excessive fondness for cats.

gatophobia

an abnormal fear of cats.

grimalkin

1. a cat, particularly an old female cat.
2. a bad-tempered old woman.

kitling

British dialect, the young of an animal, especially a kitten or young cat.

malkin

British dialect, a cat or hare. Also spelled mawkin.

philofelist

ailurophile.

philogalist

ailurophile.