The domestic cat includes many varieties named from their place of origin or from some peculiarity; as,
the Angora cat; the Maltese cat; the Manx cat.
The word cat is also used to designate other animals, from some fancied resemblance; as, civet cat,
fisher cat, catbird, catfish shark, sea cat.
2. (Naut.) (a) A strong vessel with a narrow stern, projecting quarters, and deep waist. It is employed
in the coal and timber trade. (b) A strong tackle used to draw an anchor up to the cathead of a ship.
Totten.
3. A double tripod (for holding a plate, etc.), having six feet, of which three rest on the ground, in whatever
position it is placed.
4. An old game; (a) The game of tipcat and the implement with which it is played. See Tipcat. (c) A
game of ball, called, according to the number of batters, one old cat, two old cat, etc.
5. A cat o' nine tails. See below.
Angora cat, blind cat, See under Angora, Blind. — Black cat the fisher. See under Black. — Cat
and dog, like a cat and dog; quarrelsome; inharmonious. "I am sure we have lived a cat and dog life of
it." Coleridge. — Cat block (Naut.), a heavy iron-strapped block with a large hook, part of the tackle
used in drawing an anchor up to the cathead. — Cat hook (Naut.), a strong hook attached to a cat
block. - - Cat nap, a very short sleep. [Colloq.] — Cat o' nine tails, an instrument of punishment
consisting of nine pieces of knotted line or cord fastened to a handle; — formerly used to flog offenders
on the bare back. — Cat's cradle, game played, esp. by children, with a string looped on the fingers
so, as to resemble small cradle. The string is transferred from the fingers of one to those of another, at
each transfer with a change of form. See Cratch, Cratch cradle. — To let the cat out of the bag, to
tell a secret, carelessly or willfully. [Colloq.] — Bush cat, the serval. See Serval.
Cat
(Cat) v. t. [imp. & p. p. tted; p. pr. & vb. n. Catting.] (Naut.) To bring to the cathead; as, to
cat an anchor. See Anchor. Totten.
