often attributive
1
a
: 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)
2
a
: guy
some young … cat asked me to go drinking with him—
Jack Kerouac
Jack Kerouac
b
: a player or devotee of jazz
3
: a strong tackle used to hoist an anchor to the cathead of a ship
6
7
: a malicious woman
especially
: one given to making catty remarks about other women
catted; catting
usually vulgar
: to search for a sexual mate
—often used with around
: to bring (an anchor) up to the cathead
1
catalog
2
catalyst
1
clean-air turbulence
2
computerized axial tomography
Synonyms
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 WebRachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2023
Shelter staff were devastated on behalf of the person who had no choice but to surrender her beloved cats.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 22 Sep. 2023
This rare disorder causes seizures in some cats, including Annie.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2023
Anaphylaxis can happen within minutes of being exposed to an allergen, such as a peanut or cat dander.
—Sara G. Miller, NBC News, 20 Sep. 2023
Prior to the attack, the company was trying to rebuild supply in areas including cat litter, which saw demand boom during the pandemic.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas News, 19 Sep. 2023
Thin, sharp cat eyes were drawn on, too, but they were mostly covered by her extra long, wispy lashes that nearly touched her eyebrows.
—Gabi Thorne, Allure, 11 Sep. 2023
On Sunday morning, large piles of rubble were dotted around the area, with stray cats scouring them for food.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 10 Sep. 2023
Your neighbor has lost what sounds like could have been a good and reliable cat sitter.
—Amy Dickinson, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Sep. 2023
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
Noun
Pets can make a house a home, but stopping your cats from scratching the furniture isn’t always easy.
—Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 26 Sep. 2023
Shelter staff were devastated on behalf of the person who had no choice but to surrender her beloved cats.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 22 Sep. 2023
This rare disorder causes seizures in some cats, including Annie.
—Kelli Bender, Peoplemag, 21 Sep. 2023
Anaphylaxis can happen within minutes of being exposed to an allergen, such as a peanut or cat dander.
—Sara G. Miller, NBC News, 20 Sep. 2023
Prior to the attack, the company was trying to rebuild supply in areas including cat litter, which saw demand boom during the pandemic.
—Bloomberg Wire, Dallas News, 19 Sep. 2023
Thin, sharp cat eyes were drawn on, too, but they were mostly covered by her extra long, wispy lashes that nearly touched her eyebrows.
—Gabi Thorne, Allure, 11 Sep. 2023
On Sunday morning, large piles of rubble were dotted around the area, with stray cats scouring them for food.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN, 10 Sep. 2023
Your neighbor has lost what sounds like could have been a good and reliable cat sitter.
—Amy Dickinson, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Sep. 2023
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 examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English, from Old English catt, probably from Late Latin cattus, catta cat
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
Verb
1681, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense
Time Traveler
The first known use of cat was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing cat
Dictionary Entries Near cat
Cite this Entry
“Cat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cat. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
cat
nounˈkat
1
a
: a small domestic meat-eating mammal kept by people as a pet or for catching rats and mice
b
: an animal (as the lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, cougar, wildcat, lynx, and cheetah) that belongs to the same family as the domestic cat
2
slang
: man entry 1 sense 1a, fellow
Medical Definition
cat
1 of 2 nounoften attributive
1
: a carnivorous mammal (Felis catus) long domesticated and kept as a pet or for catching rats and mice
2
: any of a family (Felidae) of mammals including the domestic cat, lion, tiger, leopard, jaguar, cougar, wildcat, lynx, and cheetah
CAT
2 of 2 abbreviation
computed axial tomography; computerized axial tomography
More from Merriam-Webster on cat
Nglish: Translation of cat for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of cat for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cat
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share