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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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

Cat people will feel right at home at CatCon, a two-day convention for the awareness, celebration and adoption of cats at the Pasadena Convention Center. — Sara Cagle, latimes.com, "Gyros and comedy, pirates and cats and more for your close-to-home weekend," 26 June 2019 The smell of cats grows stronger by the hour, prompting allergic sneezes. — Kimberly Mitchell, The Mercury News, "SadInSF members channel emotion, friendship through music; Collaboration of Carlmont High grads recently played Palo Alto festival," 23 June 2019 Among other laws Illinois has that Indiana does not are felony penalties for attending dogfights and prohibitions against possession of big cats, primates and bears as pets. — Donna Vickroy, chicagotribune.com, "Fair Oaks Farm videos lead to outrage and questions — why does animal abuse occur and why is it so hard to punish?," 20 June 2019 The scientists plan on collecting data from a larger research pool of around 20,000 cats to bolster their conclusions. — Meilan Solly, Smithsonian, "Your Cat’s Attitude Actually Is Closely Linked to Its Breed, Survey Shows," 19 June 2019 The home and yard underwent a massive, multi-day cleanup effort in 2015 involving volunteers, city workers and others during which the remains of dead cats were found among the rubbish. — Karen Caffarini, Post-Tribune, "Bids awarded to raze five Hobart homes," 6 June 2019 Several other states, including California, New Jersey and Massachusetts, are also considering laws that would prohibit the declawing of cats, the New York Times reported. — Kim Chatelain, nola.com, "New York poised to become the 1st state to ban cat declawing: report," 5 June 2019 The credenza was flanked by oil paintings of Swift's cats, as well as a rendering of the Dixie Chicks (which has prompted more than a little speculation on their possible contribution to a forthcoming album). — Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, "All the Home Decor Items You Can Shop in Taylor Swift's "ME" Video," 26 Apr. 2019 Including what some might consider the excessive acquisition of rescue cats. — Alyssa Mastromonaco, Marie Claire, "Alyssa Mastromonaco Explores Her Non-Decision to Not Have Kids," 5 Mar. 2019

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.