cat

1 of 5

noun

ˈkat 

often attributive

1

a

: a carnivorous mammal (Felis catus) long domesticated as a pet and for catching rats and mice

b

: any of a family (Felidae) of carnivorous usually solitary and nocturnal mammals (such as the domestic cat, lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, cougar, wildcat, lynx, and cheetah)

2

a

: guy

… some young … cat asked me to go drinking with him …

—Jack Kerouac

b

: a player or devotee of jazz

3

: a strong tackle used to hoist an anchor to the cathead of a ship

4

a

: catboat

b

: catamaran

5

: cat-o'-nine-tails

6

: catfish sense 1

7

: a malicious woman

especially : one given to making catty remarks about other women

see also:

bell the cat let the cat out of the bag rain cats and dogs

cat

2 of 5

verb

catted; catting

intransitive verb

informal : to search for a sexual mate

—often used with around

transitive verb

: to bring (an anchor) up to the cathead

cat

3 of 5

abbreviation (1)

1

catalog

2

catalyst

Cat

4 of 5

trademark

ˈkat 

—used for a Caterpillar tractor

CAT

5 of 5

abbreviation (2)

1

clear-air turbulence

2

computerized axial tomography

Synonyms of cat

Noun

• kitten
• kitty
• feline

Examples of cat in a Sentence

Noun

I have two dogs and a cat.

the family's cat did an exemplary job of keeping the house and yard free of all rodents

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There were heiress ghosts and cat ghosts and soldier ghosts charging through forests. — Literary Hub, 30 Oct. 2026

But Bias said there is no evidence that black cats face higher abuse rates around Halloween. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 30 Oct. 2026

But Halloween excess, with its pillowcases full of candy, elaborate costumes for everyone from babies to adults to dogs (and a few unlucky cats), could not be more American. — ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026

The cat, which measures just short of 64 feet, can cover those long distances thanks to her two slender hulls, twin engines, and two fuel tanks with a capacity of 1,585 gallons. — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 29 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English catt, probably from Late Latin cattus, catta cat

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1681, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Phrases Containing cat

• alley cat
• Angora cat
• bell the cat
• big cat
• cat-a-mountain
• cat and mouse
• cat burglar
• cat distemper
• cat got your tongue
• cat litter
• cat-o'-nine-tails
• cat rig
• cat's cradle
• cat scratch disease
• cat's-eye
• cat's meow
• cat's-paw
• Cheshire cat
• civet cat
• dead-cat bounce
• false saber-tooth cat
• false saber-toothed cat
• fat cat
• feel/look like something the cat brought/dragged/drug in
• fight like cat and dog
• fisher cat
• foster dog/cat/puppy/kitten
• fraidy-cat
• house cat
• jungle cat
• leopard cat
• let the cat out of the bag
• like the cat that ate/got/swallowed the canary
• like the cat that got the cream
• longhaired cat
• look what the cat dragged in
• Manx cat
• Persian cat
• play (a game of) cat and mouse
• saber-tooth cat
• saber-toothed cat
• scaredy-cat
• Siamese cat
• spoonbill cat
• (the) cat has someone's tongue
• the cat's meow
• the cat's pajamas
• the cat's whiskers
• tiger cat

Rhymes for cat

• at
• bat
• batt
• brat
• chat
• fat
• flat
• gat
• gnat
• hat
• kat
• mat

Kids Definition

cat

noun

ˈkat

1

a

: a small domestic meat-eating mammal kept by people as a pet or for catching rats and mice

b

: an animal (as the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, cougar, wildcat, lynx, and cheetah) that belongs to the same family as the domestic cat

2

: man entry 1 sense 1a, fellow

Medical Definition

cat

1 of 2 noun

ˈkat 

often attributive

1

: a carnivorous mammal (Felis catus) long domesticated and kept as a pet or for catching rats and mice

2

: any of a family (Felidae) of mammals including the domestic cat, lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, cougar, wildcat, lynx, and cheetah

CAT

2 of 2 abbreviation

computed axial tomography; computerized axial tomography