cath

1 of 4

noun

plural caths
: catheterization
especially : cardiac catheterization
… four or five low-risk caths could easily be done each day. David Guo
often used before another noun
Twenty minutes later, she was in the heart cath room where Drs. Maddox and Bronson spent the next two hours delicately pushing 3 stents into an artery … Roger Aiken

cath

2 of 4

verb

cathed; cathing

transitive verb

: to insert a catheter into (a patient) : to perform a catheterization procedure on (a patient)
… the nurse soon returned and said she had tried to cath the woman but couldn't find her urethra …Charles Hagen

cath

3 of 4

abbreviation

1
cathartic
2
3
4

cath-

4 of 4

prefix

see cata-

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Girn went back to the cardiac cath room and gathered his team, including the attending cardiologist, Enrique Ostrzega, for a brief conference. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 24 Oct. 2021 Ostrzega knew almost immediately that Girn made the right decision in keeping Louis out of the cath lab. Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 24 Oct. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cath.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1976, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1980, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cath was in 1976

Dictionary Entries Near cath

Cite this Entry

“Cath.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cath. Accessed 9 Jun. 2023.

Medical Definition

cath

1 of 3 noun
: catheterization
especially : cardiac catheterization
A routine catheterization takes no more than an hour. Allowing for preparation and cleanup time, that means four or five low-risk caths could easily be done each day. David Guo, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
often used before another noun
a cath lab

cath

2 of 3 transitive verb
: to insert a catheter into : subject to catheterization
… the nurse soon returned and said she had tried to cath the woman but couldn't find her urethra …Charles Hagen, in Emergency!: True Stories from the Nation's ERs

cath

3 of 3 abbreviation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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