cat

noun, often attributive

\ˈkat

Definition of cat

(Entry 1 of 5)

1a : 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)

2a : 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

4a : 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

cat

verb

catted; catting

Definition of cat (Entry 2 of 5)

intransitive verb

usually vulgar : to search for a sexual mate —often used with around

transitive verb

: to bring (an anchor) up to the cathead

cat

abbreviation (1)

Definition of cat (Entry 3 of 5)

1 catalog

2 catalyst

Cat

trademark

\ˈkat

Definition of Cat (Entry 4 of 5)

—used for a Caterpillar tractor

CAT

abbreviation (2)

Definition of CAT (Entry 5 of 5)

1 clean-air turbulence

2 computerized axial tomography

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about cat

Keep scrolling for more

Synonyms for cat

Synonyms: Noun

feline, house cat, kitty, moggy (also moggie) [British], puss, pussy, pussycat

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

The number of South Korean households with pet cats has grown roughly 10-fold in the past decade, research firm Euromonitor International found. — Dasl Yoon, WSJ, "That Raccoon Rooting Through Your Trash Could Be a Big Star in Seoul," 7 Nov. 2018 The couple lives in the upper apartment (with cat Aaron and female dog Mr. Sanchez) and interacts with most guests passing through their home. — Meredith Carey, Condé Nast Traveler, "Airbnb's Longest-Serving Hosts on the First Decade of Home-Sharing," 30 Aug. 2018 There’s a woman with a cat familiar that can perform outlandish special attacks, and a secret agent with an uncanny ability to avoid attacks. — Andrew Webster, The Verge, "Pocket Rumble for the Nintendo Switch channels the best portable fighters," 6 July 2018 Gus-Gus is dog-friendly and seems to do well with cats. — Peggy Calhoun, idahostatesman, "Canyon County Pet of the Week: Gus-Gus," 20 June 2018 The Northeast District Department of Health is advising anyone who might have come in contact with this cat from May 14 to 29 to call for an assessment of exposure. — Courant Community, "Community News For The Putnam-Killingly Edition," 12 June 2018 This very friendly kitty gets along with other cats, enjoys being picked up, and likes to play with anything that will show off her jumping skills. — azcentral, "Rescue animals available for adoption this week in Metro Phoenix," 25 May 2018 Tatiana is open to living with a cat or a dog but would like to avoid homes with snakes! — BostonGlobe.com, "Siblings hope to find a family to share together," 12 May 2018 Later on, Nathanael, a software engineer with piercing blue-green eyes who codes with a cat nestled in his lap, recounts how Adderall allowed him to work intensely until midnight—a coder’s dream. — The Economist, "Too often, poverty is treated with pills," 10 May 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Cat knew how to draw out the best in his son athletically and emotionally. — Joseph Goodman, AL.com, "On Willie Mays, his father and the final childhood summer of the Say Hey Kid," 17 June 2017 Cat Mountain Tr., 1400 block: Theft of property ($100-$750). — Mitch Mitchell, star-telegram.com, "Police report: Suspect in Denton murder back in Texas," 16 June 2017 Cat prowled beneath the shelf, but had no way to reach my little fish. — Elisabeth Egan, chicagotribune.com, "Algren Award finalist: "Water like air" by Rebecca Wurtz," 10 June 2017 Q. How worried should cat owners be about the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, especially with babies in the house? — Karen Weintraub, New York Times, "How Worried Should Cat Owners Be About Toxoplasmosis?," 8 June 2017 Go to Cat Tuong in Kastanienallee for wow-factor vegan/vegetarian Vietnamese dishes— — Alexandra Pereira, Condé Nast Traveler, "How to Enjoy Berlin's Nightlife Like a Local," 8 May 2017 Today, the government is trying hard to eliminate cats from the landscape and is even involved in the invention of new cat poisons and gory things, which are upsetting to cat lovers. — Martin Mejia, National Geographic, "How Cats Clawed Their Way Into Our Hearts," 13 Nov. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cat.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.