noun

cat

KAT

noun

A small, domesticated, furry mammal commonly kept as a pet, known for hunting mice and independent behaviour.

"The cat curled up on the windowsill in the sun."

"Their cat likes to knock things off the table."

A Unix command that reads files and outputs their contents.

"He used cat to print the log file to the terminal."

How to Use Cat

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe familiar household pet, or (in computing) a command that displays file contents.

Common pairings

stray cat pet cat cat and mouse

Word Forms

catted past tense, catted past tense, cats plural, Cats plural, Cats plural, Cats plural, cats singular, cats singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.

Test yourself on “cat” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

The _____ curled up on the windowsill in the sun.

Etymology

From Old English catt, ultimately from Late Latin cattus — the word's deeper origin is uncertain, but it spread across many languages alongside the domestication of cats in the ancient world.

Synonyms

View more →

baudrons domestic cat grimalkin kibty housecat kitten kitter kitty kitty-cat kitty witty malkin mog

Related Words

scarecrow kitten vagina kitty vulva

Rhymes for cat

scat tomcat bobcat wildcat copycat hellcat

See all rhymes for cat →

People Also Searched

baudrons domestic cat grimalkin kibty housecat kitten kitter kitty kitty-cat kitty witty malkin mog