Main Entry: cat–o'–nine–tails

Pronunciation: \ˌka-tə-ˈnīn-ˌtālz\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural cat–o'–nine–tails

Etymology: from the resemblance of its scars to the scratches of a cat

Date: 1665

: a whip made of usually nine knotted lines or cords fastened to a handle