cat

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cat1 / kat/ • n. 1. a small domesticated carnivorous mammal (Felis catus), with soft fur, a short snout, and retractile claws. The cat family (Felidae) also includes the ocelot, serval, margay, lynx, and the big cats. ∎  a wild animal of the cat family. See also big cat. ∎  used in names of catlike animals of other families, e.g., ring-tailed cat. ∎  hist. short for cat-o'-nine-tails. ∎ short for catfish. ∎ short for cathead. ∎ short for catboat. 2. inf. (particularly among jazz enthusiasts) a person, esp. a man.• v. (catted , catting ) [tr.] Naut. raise (an anchor) from the surface of the water to the cathead.cat2 • n. short for catalytic converter.cat3 • n. short for catamaran.

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