cat : Idioms & Phrases

• noun a small slender short-haired breed of African origin having brownish fur with a reddish undercoat
  Abyssinian.
  

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• noun a homeless cat
  

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• noun a long-haired breed of cat similar to the Persian cat
  Angora.
  

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• (Zoöl.), a variety of the domestic cat with very long and silky hair, generally of the brownish white color. Called also Angola cat. See Cat.

Webster 1913

• See under Angora, Blind.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), a wild cat of Africa and the East Indies (Felis aurata).

Webster 1913

• noun reddish-brown Old World raccoon-like carnivore; in some classifications considered unrelated to the giant pandas
  Ailurus fulgens; red panda; bear cat; lesser panda; panda.
  

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• verb take a risk; perform a daring act
  
  • Who is going to bell the cat?

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• noun any of several large cats typically able to roar and living in the wild
  cat.
  

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• noun large dark brown North American arboreal carnivorous mammal
  fisher; pekan; Martes pennanti; black cat.
  

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• (Zoöl.), the fisher, a quadruped of North America allied to the sable, but larger. See Fisher.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), a species of catfish (Gronias nigrolabris), nearly destitute of eyes, living in caverns in Pennsylvania.

Webster 1913

• noun a large catfish of the Mississippi valley
  blue cat; blue channel catfish; blue catfish.
  

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• noun a large catfish of the Mississippi valley
  blue cat; blue channel catfish; blue catfish.
  

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• noun a short-haired breed with body similar to the Siamese cat but having a solid dark brown or grey coat
  

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• (Zoöl.), the serval. See Serval.
• the serval. See Serval.

Webster 1913

• noun widely distributed wildcat of Africa and Asia Minor
  caffer cat; Felis ocreata.
  

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• noun a cat having black and cream-colored and yellowish markings
  calico cat; tortoiseshell.
  

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• like a cat and dog; quarrelsome; inharmonius. "I am sure we have lived a cat and dog life of it." Coleridge.

Webster 1913

• noun a game for children in which the players form a circle and join hands; they raise their hands to let a player inside the circle or lower their hands to bar a second player who is chasing the first
  cat and mouse.
  

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• noun a game for children in which the players form a circle and join hands; they raise their hands to let a player inside the circle or lower their hands to bar a second player who is chasing the first
  cat and mouse.
  

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• noun reddish-brown Old World raccoon-like carnivore; in some classifications considered unrelated to the giant pandas
  Ailurus fulgens; red panda; bear cat; lesser panda; panda.
  

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• (Naut.), a heavy iron-strapped block with a large hook, part of the tackle used in drawing an anchor up to the cathead.

Webster 1913

• noun a receptacle for cat excrement
  

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• noun a burglar who unlawfully breaks into and enters another person's house
  housebreaker.
  

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• noun a chemical reactor for converting oils with high boiling points into fuels with lower boiling points in the presence of a catalyst
  catalytic cracker.
  

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• noun a person who breeds and cares for cats
  

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• noun flea that breeds chiefly on cats and dogs and rats
  Ctenocephalides felis.
  

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• noun food prepared for cats
  

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• (Naut.), a strong hook attached to a cat block.

Webster 1913

• a very short sleep. Colloq.

Webster 1913

• an instrument of punishment consisting of nine pieces of knotted line or cord fastened to a handle; formerly used to flog offenders on the bare back.

Webster 1913

• noun rig of a catboat
  

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• noun an image produced by scanning
  scan.
  
  • he analyzed the brain scan
  • you could see the tumor in the CAT scan

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• noun a tomograph that constructs a 3-D model of an object by combining parallel planes
  computerized axial tomography scanner.
  

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• noun a disease thought to be transmitted to humans by a scratch from a cat
  

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• noun small bottom-dwelling sharks with cat-like eyes; found along continental slopes
  

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• noun sleeping for a short period of time (usually not in bed)
  catnap; nap; short sleep; snooze; forty winks.
  

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• noun common reddish-brown squirrel of Europe and parts of Asia
  red squirrel; Sciurus vulgaris.
  
• noun common medium-large squirrel of eastern North America; now introduced into England
  eastern gray squirrel; eastern grey squirrel; Sciurus carolinensis.
  

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• noun a tight-fitting garment of stretchy material that covers the body from the shoulders to the thighs (and may have long sleeves or legs reaching down to the ankles); worn by ballet dancers and acrobats for practice or performance
  leotard; body suit; unitard.
  

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• noun Mediterranean germander having small hairy leaves and reddish purple flowers; attractive to cats
  marum; Teucrium marum.
  

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• noun street names for ketamine
  jet; honey oil; K; super acid; green; super C; special K.
  

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• noun a game played with string looped over the fingers
  

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• game played, esp. by children, with a string looped on the fingers so, as to resemble small cradle. The string is transferred from the fingers of one to those of another, at each transfer with a change of form. See Cratch, Cratch cradle.

Webster 1913

• noun any of various gems (as chrysoberyl or chalcedony) that reflect light when cut in a rounded shape
  

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• noun low-growing perennial herb having leaves with whitish down and clusters of small white flowers
  pussytoes; Antennaria dioica; cat's feet.
  

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• noun low-growing perennial herb having leaves with whitish down and clusters of small white flowers
  pussytoes; Antennaria dioica; cat's feet.
  

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• noun erect shrub with small if any spines having racemes of white to yellow flowers followed by curved pointed pods and black shiny seeds; West Indies and Florida
  black bead; Pithecellodium unguis-cati; catclaw.
  

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• noun any of several plants of the genus Calochortus having flowers with petals shaped like cat's ears
  
• noun European weed widely naturalized in North America having yellow flower heads and leaves resembling a cat's ears
  California dandelion; capeweed; Hypochaeris radicata; gosmore.
  

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Cat's"-eye` noun

Definitions

1. (Min.) A variety of quartz or chalcedony, exhibiting opalescent reflections from within, like the eye of a cat. The mane is given to other gems affording like effects, esp. the chrysoberyl.

Webster 1913

Cat's`-foot noun

Definitions

1. (Bot.) A plant (Nepeta Glechoma) of the same genus with catnip; ground ivy.

Webster 1913

• noun a person used by another to gain an end
  instrument; pawn.
  
• noun a hitch in the middle of rope that has two eyes into which tackle can be hooked
  

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Cat's"-paw` noun

Definitions

1. (Naut.) (a) A light transitory air which ruffles the surface of the water during a calm, or the ripples made by such a puff of air. (b) A particular hitch or turn in the bight of a rope, into which a tackle may be hooked.
2. A dupe; a tool; one who, or that which, is used by another as an instrument to a accomplish his purposes. ✍ In this sense the term refers to the fable of the monkey using the cat's paw to draw the roasting chestnuts out of the fire.

Webster 1913

• noun tall marsh plant with cylindrical seed heads that explode when mature shedding large quantities of down; its long flat leaves are used for making mats and chair seats; of North America, Europe, Asia and North Africa
  bulrush; nailrod; reed mace; bullrush; reedmace; Typha latifolia.
  

WordNet

Cat's"-tail noun

Definitions

1. See Timothy, Cat-tail, Cirrus.

Webster 1913

Cat"-eyed` adjective

Definitions

1. Having eyes like a cat; hence, able to see in the dark.

Webster 1913

Cat"-harp`in noun

Definitions

1. See Cat-harping.

Webster 1913

Cat"-harp`ing noun

Definitions

1. (Naut.) One of the short ropes or iron cramps used to brace in the shrouds toward the masts so a to give freer sweep to the yards.

Webster 1913

Cat"-hole` noun

Definitions

1. (Naut.) One of two small holes astern, above the gunroom ports, through which hawsers may be passed.

Webster 1913

• noun a whip with nine knotted cords
  cat.
  
  • British sailors feared the cat

WordNet

Cat"-rigged` adjective

Definitions

1. Rigged like a catboat.

Webster 1913

Cat"-salt` noun

Definitions

1. A sort of salt, finely granulated, formed out of the bittern or leach brine.

Webster 1913

Cat"-sil`ver noun

Definitions

1. Mica. Archaic

Webster 1913

Cat"-tail noun

Definitions

1. (Bot.) A tall rush or flag (Typha latifolia) growing in marshes, with long, glat leaves, and having its flowers in a close cylindrical spike at the top of the stem. The leaves are frequently used for seating chairs, making mats, etc. See Catkin. ✍ The lesser cat-tail is Typha angustifolia.

Webster 1913

• noun freshwater food fish common throughout central United States
  channel catfish; Ictalurus punctatus.
  

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• noun a fictional cat with a broad fixed smile on its face; created by Lewis Carroll
  

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• noun raccoon-like omnivorous mammal of Mexico and the southwestern United States having a long bushy tail with black and white rings
  cacomixle; bassarisk; coon cat; civet cat; cacomistle; Bassariscus astutus; ringtail; miner's cat; raccoon fox.
  
• noun cat-like mammal typically secreting musk used in perfumes
  civet.
  

WordNet

• noun omnivorous mammal of Central America and South America
  Nasua narica; coati; coati-mondi; coati-mundi.
  
• noun raccoon-like omnivorous mammal of Mexico and the southwestern United States having a long bushy tail with black and white rings
  cacomixle; bassarisk; coon cat; civet cat; cacomistle; Bassariscus astutus; ringtail; miner's cat; raccoon fox.
  

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• noun any domesticated member of the genus Felis
  Felis domesticus; Felis catus; domestic cat.
  

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• noun a domestic cat of Egypt
  

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• (Zoöl.), one of three or more large species of African catfish of the genus Malapterurus (esp. M. electricus of the Nile). They have a large electrical organ and are able to give powerful shocks; called also sheathfish.

Webster 1913

• noun small plant with slender bent stems bearing branched clusters of a few white star-shaped flowers with petals shaped like cat's ears; southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon to Montana
  Calochortus elegans; star tulip.
  

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• noun a wealthy and privileged person
  

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• noun large dark brown North American arboreal carnivorous mammal
  fisher; pekan; Martes pennanti; black cat.
  

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• noun arboreal nocturnal mammal of southeast Asia and the Philippines resembling a lemur and having a fold of skin on each side from neck to tail that is used for long gliding leaps
  flying lemur; colugo.
  
• noun East Indian flying squirrel
  flying marmot; taguan; Petaurista petaurista.
  

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• noun largest carnivore of Madagascar; intermediate in some respects between cats and civets
  fossa; Cryptoprocta ferox.
  

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Gib"-cat` noun

Definitions

1. A male cat, esp. an old one. See lst Gib. n. Obs. Shak.

Webster 1913

Hell"-cat ` noun

Definitions

1. A witch; a hag. Middleton.

Webster 1913

• noun any domesticated member of the genus Felis
  Felis domesticus; Felis catus; domestic cat.
  

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• (Zoöl.), the cheetah.

Webster 1913

• noun long-bodied long-tailed tropical American wildcat
  jaguarundi; jaguarondi; eyra; Felis yagouaroundi.
  

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• (Zoöl.), the musang.

Webster 1913

• noun small Asiatic wildcat
  Felis chaus.
  

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• (Zoöl.), the chaus.

Webster 1913

• noun widely distributed wildcat of Africa and Asia Minor
  caffer cat; Felis ocreata.
  

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• noun informal terms referring to a domestic cat
  pussycat; pussy; kitty; puss.
  

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• noun small spotted wildcat of southern Asia and Malaysia
  Felis bengalensis.
  

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• (Zoöl.) any one of several species or varieties of small, spotted cats found in Africa, Southern Asia, and the East Indies; esp., Felis Bengalensis.

Webster 1913

• verb divulge confidential information or secrets
  peach; babble; spill the beans; babble out; tattle; blab out; sing; blab; talk.
  
  • Be careful--his secretary talks

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• noun small lemur having its tail barred with black
  Lemur catta; ring-tailed lemur.
  

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• noun a term applied indiscriminately in the United States to any short-haired bluish-grey cat
  Maltese.
  

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• (Zoöl.), a mouse-colored variety of the domestic cat.

Webster 1913

• noun a short-haired tailless breed of cat believed to originate on the Isle of Man
  Manx.
  

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• (Zoöl.), a breed of domestic cats having a rudimentary tail, containing only about three vertebrae.

Webster 1913

• noun small spotted wildcat found from Texas to Brazil
  margay; Felis wiedi.
  

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• noun agile slender-bodied arboreal mustelids somewhat larger than weasels
  marten.
  

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• noun raccoon-like omnivorous mammal of Mexico and the southwestern United States having a long bushy tail with black and white rings
  cacomixle; bassarisk; coon cat; civet cat; cacomistle; Bassariscus astutus; ringtail; miner's cat; raccoon fox.
  

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• (Zoöl.), the catamount. See Catamount.

Webster 1913

• . See Catfish.

Webster 1913

• . See Bondar.

Webster 1913

• noun carnivorous arboreal cat-like marsupials of Australia and Tasmania
  Dasyurus viverrinus.
  

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• noun small wildcat of the mountains of Siberia and Tibet and Mongolia
  manul; Felis manul.
  

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• noun spotted or striped arboreal civet of southeast Asia and East Indies
  palm civet.
  

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• (Zoöl.), the common paradoxure.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), a South American wild cat (Felis pajeros). It has oblique transverse bands of yellow or brown. It is about three and a half feet long. Called also straw cat.

Webster 1913

• noun nocturnal wildcat of Central America and South America having a dark-spotted buff-brown coat
  Felis pardalis; ocelot.
  

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• (Zoöl.), the ocelot.

Webster 1913

• noun a long-haired breed of cat
  

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• . (Zoöl.) Same as Angora cat, under Angora.

Webster 1913

• verb rain heavily
  pelt; rain buckets; stream; pour.
  
  • Put on your rain coat-- it's pouring outside!

WordNet

• noun raccoon-like omnivorous mammal of Mexico and the southwestern United States having a long bushy tail with black and white rings
  cacomixle; bassarisk; coon cat; civet cat; cacomistle; Bassariscus astutus; ringtail; miner's cat; raccoon fox.
  

WordNet

• (Zoöl.), the cacomixle.

Webster 1913

• noun a desert wildcat
  

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• noun a slender short-haired blue-eyed breed of cat having a pale coat with dark ears paws face and tail tip
  Siamese.
  

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• noun a kind of snowmobile
  

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• (Zoöl.), any one of several species of small fresh-water North American catfishes of the genus Noturus. They have sharp pectoral spines with which they inflict painful wounds.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), the pampas cat.

Webster 1913

• noun a cat with a grey or tawny coat mottled with black
  tabby.
  

WordNet

Tib"-cat` noun

Definitions

1. A female cat. Prov. Eng. Halliwell.

Webster 1913

• noun medium-sized wildcat of Central America and South America having a dark-striped coat
  Felis tigrina.
  
• noun a cat having a striped coat
  

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• (Zoöl.), any one of several species of wild cats of moderate size with dark transverse bars or stripes somewhat resembling those of the tiger.

Webster 1913

• to hoist the anchor to the cathead and pass the ring-stopper.

Webster 1913

• to tell a secret, carelessly or willfully. Colloq.

Webster 1913

• to rant violently; to rave; especially applied to theatrical ranting. Obs. Shak.

Webster 1913

• . (a) To practice extreme parsimony. Prov. Eng. Forby. (b) To go from house to house working by the day, as itinerant tailors and carpenters do. Prov. & U. S.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), the common paradoxure; the palm cat.

Webster 1913

• noun a cat having black and cream-colored and yellowish markings
  calico cat; tortoiseshell.
  

WordNet

• (Zool.), the common paradoxure (Paradoxurus musang).

Webster 1913

• noun feline mammal usually having thick soft fur and no ability to roar: domestic cats; wildcats
  cat.
  

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• . (Zoöl.) (a) A European carnivore (Felis catus) somewhat resembling the domestic cat, but larger stronger, and having a short tail. It is destructive to the smaller domestic animals, such as lambs, kids, poultry, and the like. (b) The common American lynx, or bay lynx. (c) (Naut.) A wheel which can be adjusted so as to revolve either with, or on, the shaft of a capstan. Luce.

Webster 1913

Wild"-cat` adjective

Definitions

1. Unsound; worthless; irresponsible; unsafe; -- said to have been originally applied to the notes of an insolvent bank in Michigan upon which there was the figure of a panther.
2. (Railroad) Running without control; running along the line without a train; as, a wild-cat locomotive. Wildcat well. A well, as an oil or gas well, drilled in an area not proven to be productive; often drilled by a small exploration company. Wildcat strike. A strike initiated by workers without authorization of a union, or in violation of the work contract currently in force.

Webster 1913

• (Zoöl.), a yellow catfish; especially, the bashaw.

Webster 1913