cat
noun
cat
1 American
[kat]
/ kæt /
noun
cats
plural
-
a small domesticated carnivore, Felis domestica or F. catus, bred in a number of varieties.
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any of several carnivores of the family Felidae, such as the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, etc.
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Older Slang.
-
a person, especially a man.
I'll admit that I'm not the hippest cat in town but even I know that show.
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a devotee of jazz.
That cat's got a great ear, but he can't sing or play himself.
-
-
a woman given to spiteful or malicious gossip.
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Games.
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Chiefly British. the game of tipcat, or the tapering piece of wood used in the game.
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-
a catboat.
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a catamaran.
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a catfish.
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Obsolete. the fur of the domestic cat.
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Nautical. a tackle used in hoisting an anchor to the cathead, a projecting timber or metal beam where the anchor is secured.
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a double tripod having six legs but resting on only three no matter how it is set down, usually used before or over a fire.
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Navy Informal. catapult.
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(in medieval warfare) a movable shelter for providing protection when approaching a fortification.
verb (used with object)
cats,
present (3rd person singular)
catted,
past participle, past
catting
present participle
-
to flog with a cat-o'-nine-tails.
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Nautical. to hoist (an anchor) and secure to a cathead, a projecting timber or metal beam where the anchor is secured.
verb (used without object)
cats,
present (3rd person singular)
catted,
past participle, past
catting
present participle
verb phrase
idioms
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look like something the cat dragged in, to look tired, unkempt, ugly, etc..
You look like something the cat dragged in—go have a shower and a nap.
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the cat that ate / swallowed / got the canary, someone who is self-satisfied, proud, or pleased.
She won the contest by a hair and walked around like the cat that ate the canary for the rest of the month.
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bell the cat, to attempt something formidable or dangerous.
The question at the moment is who will bell the cat, since nobody on the board is willing to tell the CEO she's fired.
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rain cats and dogs. rain.
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curiosity killed the cat. curiosity.
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cat got your tongue?, (used to ask why someone is not speaking).
You've been awfully quiet—cat got your tongue?
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let the cat out of the bag, to divulge a secret, especially inadvertently or carelessly.
He let the cat out of the bag, and the surprise party wasn't a surprise after all.
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look what the cat dragged in, (used to acknowledge someone's arrival while implying that they look bad or are unwelcome).
Darn it, he's here. Look what the cat dragged in!
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enough to make a cat laugh, very funny, outrageous, or absurd.
Hearing these politicians talk about the lives of everyday people is enough to make a cat laugh.
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fight like cats and dogs. fight.
Cat
2
American
[kat]
/ kæt /
Trademark.
CAT
3
American
-
clear-air turbulence.
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Medicine/Medical. computerized axial tomography.
cat.
4
American
abbreviation
-
catalog; catalogue.
-
catechism.
cat
1
British
/ kæt /
noun
-
Also called: domestic cat. a small domesticated feline mammal, Felis catus (or domesticus ), having thick soft fur and occurring in many breeds in which the colour of the fur varies greatly: kept as a pet or to catch rats and mice
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Also called: big cat. any of the larger felines, such as a lion or tiger
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any wild feline mammal of the genus Felis, such as the lynx or serval, resembling the domestic cat
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old-fashioned a woman who gossips maliciously
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slang a man; guy
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nautical a heavy tackle for hoisting an anchor to the cathead
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a short sharp-ended piece of wood used in the game of tipcat
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short for catboat
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informal short for Caterpillar
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short for cat-o'-nine-tails
-
informal a bad-tempered person
she's a real bag of cats this morning
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to fight until both parties are destroyed
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to disclose a secret, often by mistake
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in an uneasy or agitated state
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quarrelling savagely
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to appear dishevelled or bedraggled
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no chance at all
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to have very little space
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to play with a person or animal in a cruel or teasing way, esp before a final act of cruelty or unkindness
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to introduce some violently disturbing new element
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to rain very heavily
verb
-
(tr) to flog with a cat-o'-nine-tails
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(tr) nautical to hoist (an anchor) to the cathead
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(intr) a slang word for vomit
cat
2
British
/ kæt /
noun
adjective
CAT
3
British
abbreviation
-
computer-aided teaching
-
computer-assisted trading
cat.
4
British
abbreviation
-
catalogue
-
catamaran
cat
5
British
/ kæt /
noun
cat
More Idioms
Usage
Where does the word cat come from? While cats may be more enigmatic and reclusive than dogs in real life, when it comes to the source of the word cat, it’s a bit easier to grasp. The origin of the word dog is one of the great mysteries of English etymology. Learn why in our slideshow “‘Dog,’ ‘Boy,’ And Other Words That We Don’t Know Where They Came From."The word cat is recorded in Old English, and hasn't changed much since. (Hey, if it isn’t broken why fix it?) The masculine form was catt, the feminine catte. The word cat is most likely related to the Late Latin cattus, source of some other cat words you may have heard, including the Spanish gato and French chat. Now that you know how cats got their name, why not find out how some of our other most beloved pets got theirs in the slideshow: "Where Do The Words For Our Pets Come From?"
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
catsimple
-
catssimple
-
have cattedperfect
-
has cattedperfect
-
am cattingprogressive
-
are cattingprogressive
-
is cattingprogressive
-
have been cattingperfect progressive
-
has been cattingperfect progressive
Past
-
cattedsimple
-
had cattedperfect
-
was cattingprogressive
-
were cattingprogressive
-
had been cattingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of cat
First recorded before 900; Middle English cat, catte, Old English catt (masculine), catte (feminine); cognate with Old Frisian, Middle Dutch katte, Old High German kazza, Old Norse kǫttr; akin to Late Latin cattus, catta (first recorded in the 4th century, presumably with the introduction of domestic cats); further origin uncertain
Explanation
What's another name for the four-legged feline that lies around on your keyboard all day and purrs? You might call it “Fluffy,” but it’s also known as a cat. If you’re in the market for a pet cat, just make sure it meows, and doesn’t roar like the lion, tiger, or jaguar, all of which are in the same family as the housecat. Domesticated as long ago as ancient Egyptian times, the cat is a fixture not only in many homes, but also in a host of English expressions — like, “when the cat’s away, the mice will play,” “it’s raining cats and dogs,” and “the cat’s pajamas.”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But disruption in drug supply chains is usually temporary, in what Dittmar describes as a "constant game of cat and mouse".
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
"And I survived inside the last one with a cat."
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
So a plan is needed to track and potentially intercept tigers, said Axel Moehrenschlager, conservation translocation director for wild cat protection organisation Panthera.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Rather than thinking of Schrödinger's cat, Bühler-Paschen says the experiment is more like an anthill.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026
At times, he moves swiftly; other times, he’s deliberate like a stalking cat.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Women may also be marginally more vulnerable to heatwave-related death than men, though more evidence is needed, said Dr Cat Pinho-Gomes, an academic public health consultant at UCL's Institute for Global Health.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
Cat adoptions are climbing: More than 2.2 million cats were adopted from U.S. shelters in 2025, up 16% from a decade ago, according to Shelter Animals Count.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Their frantic energy would fit in right alongside Mack Sennett’s pie-throwers and the primitive animated shorts of Felix the Cat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Executives said products like Tastefuls snacks and high-protein Tiki Cat food could still drive growth despite a shaky consumer backdrop.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
If Mom wasn’t here, she wouldn’t see how important fishing had become to Cat.
From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn
The latter includes makers of memory chips, hard drives, fiber-optic cabling and even power generators—Caterpillar’s CAT -0.21%decrease; red down pointing triangle 34% gain so far this year is leading the Dow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 26, 2026
Yates was hospitalized multiple times and underwent CAT scans and MRIs, her husband said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 26, 2026
He ordered a barrage of tests — according to Partridge she had two MRIs, two EEGs, a SPECT, a CAT scan and a spinal tap, as well as more than a dozen different antibody tests.
From BBC ● Jan. 10, 2026
American manufacturers including Caterpillar CAT -1.01%decrease; red down pointing triangle and Whirlpool rallied on better-than-expected quarterly results Wednesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025
“I want to go over your father’s CAT scans with you,” he said.
From "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
“If you’re curious about it, be a curious cat. Go find out. There’s a lot of ways to get into this industry. There is always going to be work.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 14, 2024
"I normally have two jumpers on, two socks on and I'm very lucky to have a cat. Because he's cold I put him down my jumper and we sort of warm each other up."
From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2023
“With everyone else, if you say the costume is a cat, it’s a cat. But he would make a costume of what cats make you feel like.”
From New York Times ● Dec. 28, 2022
"We knew it was never going to be a cute cuddly film of people falling in love with a cat. We didn't want to make a film like that."
From Salon ● Dec. 5, 2022
“I don’t talk to no one but the cat. And he don’t care who you are kissin’.”
From "The Midwife's Apprentice" by Karen Cushman
With both cats secured, Malcolm says he attempted to catch up with the group - but saw they were now out of their vehicles.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
While Luna's paw print has no legal standing, the gesture holds sentimental value, and more than 50 Ecuadoran couples have elected to get married in front of their dogs and cats since May.
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
Free roaming cats also prey on European mantises, which are already under pressure from competition with the invasive newcomers and are declining in many peri urban environments.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
Her devotion to animals led to her setting up a section of of her website, the Widdyweb, for the pet cats she has lived with, adopting goats and becoming the patron of a donkey sanctuary.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Harry had acquired sixteen cats, but he didn’t take care of them; the most frequent comment that reporters and tourists had upon leaving the lodge was that it stank of cat urine.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
Last week, he was catted by the Association of German Friends of Cats, and by Herr Victor Fraenkl, chairman of the German League for Animal Rights, one of the Association's principal spokesmen.
From Time Magazine Archive
The ship broke out her own anchor, which we catted and fished, after a fashion, and were soon close-hauled, under reefed sails, standing off from the lee shore and rocks against a heavy head sea.
From Two Years Before the Mast by Dana, Richard Henry
The next instant, Mr. Leach reported the anchor catted and fished.
From Homeward Bound or, the Chase by Cooper, James Fenimore
The ship broke out her own anchor, which we catted and fished, after a fashion, and stood off from the lee-shore against a heavy head sea, under reefed topsails, fore-topmast staysail and spanker.
From Two Years Before the Mast by Dana, Richard Henry
It was light now, and in a very few minutes the canvas was spread and the anchor catted.
From At Aboukir and Acre A Story of Napoleon's Invasion of Egypt by Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
He was a Viet Nam Vet who had been "catting" on the city streets for years.
From New York Times ● Apr. 18, 2016
The lads up front have got their sprint on at the top and after some catting and mousing they finish the San Mauro Cilento in the following order: Wauters, Boaro and Taborre.
From The Guardian ● May 6, 2013
We’ve been laying our voices down, catting and scatting, and following variations of the same notes for so long we didn’t always know we were doing it.
From "Gone Crazy in Alabama" by Rita Williams-Garcia
The form of hooking on the messenger was gone through with, as also were the various preparations for catting and fishing the anchor.
From Down the Rhine Young America in Germany by Optic, Oliver
While those who were stationed on the top-gallant forecastle were engaged in catting and fishing the anchor, those who had been assigned to places on the topsail and top-gallant yards were sent aloft.
From Down the Rhine Young America in Germany by Optic, Oliver
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
