Cat \Cat\, n. [AS. cat; akin to D. & Dan. kat, Sw. kett, Icel.
k["o]ttr, G. katze, kater, Ir. Cat, W. cath, Armor. kaz, LL.
catus, Bisc. catua, NGr. ?, ?, Russ. & Pol. cot, Turk. kedi,
Ar. qitt; of unknown origin. CF. Ketten.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) An animal of various species of the genera
Felis and Lynx. The domestic cat is Felis domestica.
The European wild cat (Felis catus) is much larger than
the domestic cat. In the United States the name wild cat
is commonly applied to the bay lynx (Lynx rufus) See
Wild cat, and Tiger cat.
Note: The domestic cat includes many varieties named from
their place of origin or from some peculiarity; as, the
Angora cat; the Maltese cat; the Manx cat.
Note: The word cat is also used to designate other animals,
from some fancied resemblance; as, civet cat, fisher
cat, catbird, catfish shark, sea cat.
2. (Naut.)
(a) A strong vessel with a narrow stern, projecting
quarters, and deep waist. It is employed in the coal
and timber trade.
(b) A strong tackle used to draw an anchor up to the
cathead of a ship. --Totten.
3. A double tripod (for holding a plate, etc.), having six
feet, of which three rest on the ground, in whatever
position in is placed.
4. An old game;
(a) The game of tipcat and the implement with which it is
played. See Tipcat.
(c) A game of ball, called, according to the number of
batters, one old cat, two old cat, etc.
5. A cat o' nine tails. See below.
Angora cat, blind cat, See under Angora, Blind.
Black cat the fisher. See under Black.
Cat and dog, like a cat and dog; quarrelsome; inharmonious.
``I am sure we have lived a cat and dog life of it.''
--Coleridge.
Cat block (Naut.), a heavy iron-strapped block with a large
hook, part of the tackle used in drawing an anchor up to
the cathead.
Cat hook (Naut.), a strong hook attached to a cat block.
Cat nap, a very short sleep. [Colloq.]
Cat o' nine tails, 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.
Cat's cradle, 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.
To let the cat out of the bag, to tell a secret, carelessly
or willfully. [Colloq.]
Bush cat, the serval. See Serval.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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