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

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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 new location at 6393 Richmond is designed to accommodate 150 cats/dogs for lodging and 75 dogs for daycare. — Katherine Feser, Houston Chronicle, "Meadowlake Pet Resort to open near Galleria," 13 July 2018 Forget baseball cards and antiques — digital cats are the hottest collectibles. — Carson Kessler, Fortune, "CryptoKitties Mobile App to Debut on HTC's Flagship Phone," 11 July 2018 The features measured include air-conditioning, private laundry, parking, dishwasher, balcony, pool, hardwood floors, dog friendliness, gym, and cat friendliness. — Shannon Rooney, Philly.com, "What do Philly renters want most? Private laundry, air conditioning, parking," 9 July 2018 Image Friday the 13th is the patron day of black cat crossings, devious witches, shattered mirrors, suspicious ladders — and cheap tattoos. — Zoe Greenberg, New York Times, "Friday the 13th, a ‘Tattoo Holiday’," 13 July 2018 Dogs or cats up to 20 pounds each are accepted in carriers that can be placed under the seat of each pet owner. — Mary Wisniewski, chicagotribune.com, "Pets now allowed on all Amtrak Midwest routes," 13 July 2018 Calling all cat lovers: Sacramento’s animal shelter says it’s overflowing with kittens and needs volunteers to help house the critters for a few weeks. — Anna Buchmann, sacbee, "Sacramento shelter declares ‘kitty crisis,’ seeks volunteers for foster care," 12 July 2018 The worm is found most commonly in sheep and can be passed along through dog droppings, but cattle and cats also can carry and spread it. — Maggie Fox /, NBC News, "Tingling in woman's legs turns out to be a worm in her spine," 12 July 2018 On Wednesday, the park district’s Hunt Club Aquatic Center hosted the event, which saw 34 groups of lifeguards from park districts across the state coursing through seven challenges to display their cat-like reflexes and lifesaving abilities. — Yadira Sanchez Olson, Lake County News-Sun, "Annual lifeguard competition in Gurnee tests of strength, speed and rescue skills," 12 July 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.