cat

noun, often attributive

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\ 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 Phrases Containing cat Learn More About cat

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 After an exciting and unexpected trip with their cat, Delilah's family stopped for one last photo op at Niagara Falls before returning home, according to a Facebook post. — Alexandra Schonfeld, Peoplemag, 8 Aug. 2022 After Oleg was killed, Iryna Abramova went with her father and her cat to a friend’s house, in a part of town that hadn’t seen much fighting. — Masha Gessen, The New Yorker, 1 Aug. 2022 Just being home, playing video games and relaxing with my cat. — Jessica Radloff, Glamour, 1 Aug. 2022 In Liberia, there is a long history of consuming bushmeat, from primates to civets (a cat-like mammal), and pangolin is considered a delicacy. — Jo Munnik, CNN, 28 July 2022 Set in Costa Rica, the film follows Eva (Daniela Marin Navarro), a strong-willed 16-year-old girl who lives with her mother, her younger sister and their cat, but desperately wants to move in with her estranged father (Reinaldo Amien Guttierez). — Christopher Vourlias, Variety, 28 July 2022 Stewart suffered another loss in April when her cat Princess Peony was killed by four of her dogs. — Glenn Garner, PEOPLE.com, 23 July 2022 Pam Beesly, Ryan Howard, Angela Martin and her cat Garbage, Oscar Martinez, Kevin Malone, Stanley Hudson, Kelly Kapoor, Phyllis Lapin Vance, Meredith Palmer, Creed Bratton, Toby Flenderson and Darryl Philbin. — Danielle Directo-meston, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 July 2022 What if there were an alternate universe where your cat did not follow you to the bathroom? — Pat Myers, Washington Post, 14 July 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Cat knew how to draw out the best in his son athletically and emotionally. — Joseph Goodman, AL.com, 17 June 2017 Cat Mountain Tr., 1400 block: Theft of property ($100-$750). — Mitch Mitchell, star-telegram.com, 16 June 2017 Cat prowled beneath the shelf, but had no way to reach my little fish. — Elisabeth Egan, chicagotribune.com, 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, 8 June 2017 Go to Cat Tuong in Kastanienallee for wow-factor vegan/vegetarian Vietnamese dishes— — Alexandra Pereira, Condé Nast Traveler, 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, 13 Nov. 2016 See More

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.