An old popular name for mica or talc

An old popular name for mica or talc

An old popular name for mica or talc

Cat-silver. An old popular name for mica or talc.

Cat-sleep. A light doze, a watchful sleep, like that of a hare or of a cat who sits in front of a mouse-hole, a dozy or a sleeping wakefulness.

Cat's-paw. Any one used by another for getting them out of a difficulty, and for no other reason, is made a cat's-paw of. The simile is from the fable of the monkey using the cat's paw to take his chestnuts out of the fire. A light breeze just ruffling the water in a calm is called a cat's-paw. Also a particular kind of turn in the bight of a rope made to hook tackle on.

To be under the dominion of a wife

To be under the dominion of a wife

To be under the dominion of a wife

Cat's-foot. To live under the cat's foot, to be under the dominion of a wife, hen-pecked.

Cat's-foot. A plant of the genus Glechoma pes felinus, ground ivy or gill.

Cat's-head apple. A large culinary apple, considered by some in form to bear a resemblance to a cat's head. Philips in his poem "Cyder" thus describes it:

" ...The cat's head's weighty orb,
Enormous in growth, for various use."

British Bellman 1648

British Bellman 1648

British Bellman 1648

British Bellman, 1648.

Cat-salt. A salt obtained from butter.

Cat-salt. "A sort of salt beautifully granulated, formed out of the bittern or leach brine, used for making hard soap." Encyclopædia.

Cat's-eye. A precious stone, resembling, when polished, the eye of a cat. It has lately become fashionable.

A large collection of Burmese, Indian, and Japanese curiosities was lately sold by auction. The great attraction of the sale was "The Hindoo Lingam God," consisting of a chrysoberyl cat's-eye fixed in a topaz, and mounted in a pyramidal base studded with diamonds and precious stones. This curious relic stood 2¼ inches in height. It was preserved for more than a thousand years in an ancient temple at Delhi, where acts of devotion were paid before it by women anxious to have children. The base is of solid gold, and around it are set nine gems or charms, a diamond, ruby, sapphire, chrysoberyl cat's-eye, coral, pearl, hyacinthine garnet, yellow sapphire, and emerald. Round the apex of this gold pyramid is a plinth set with diamonds. On the apex is a topaz 1 10-16ths inch in length, and 9-16ths of an inch in depth, shaped like a horseshoe; in the centre of the horseshoe the great chrysoberyl cat's-eye stands upright. This is 15-16ths of an inch in height, and dark brown in colour, and shaped like a pear. An extremely mobile opalescent light crosses the length of the stone in an oblique direction. When Bad Shah Bahadoor Shah, the last King of Delhi, was captured and exiled to the Andaman Isles, his Queen secreted this gem, and it was never seen again until, being distressed during the Mutiny, she sold it to the present owner. The gem was finally knocked down at £2,450 to Mr. S. J. Phillips, jeweller, New Bond Street.

Of which cotte or coarse blankets were formerly made Bailey

Of which cotte or coarse blankets were formerly made Bailey

Of which cotte or coarse blankets were formerly made Bailey

Cat or dog wool. "Of which cotte or coarse blankets were formerly made" (Bailey). "Cot gase" (refuse wool). "Cat" no doubt was a corruption of "cot."

Cat-pear. A pear, shaped like a hen's egg, that ripens in October.

Cat pellet. The pop-gun of boys, one pellet of paper driving out the other. Davis in his "Glossary" thinks it means "tip-cat." Probably it may be the sharpened piece of wood, not the game, that is different altogether, he quotes.

"Who beats the boys from cat pellet, and stool ball."

Yet appertaining more to appearance

Yet appertaining more to appearance

Yet appertaining more to appearance

Cat-like. Stealthy, slow, yet appertaining more to appearance.

Catlings. Down, or moss, growing about walnut-trees, resembling the hair of a cat.

Cat o' Nine Tails. So called from being nine pieces of cord put together, in each cord nine knots; and this, when used vigorously, makes several long marks not unlike the clawing or scratching of a cat, producing crossing and re-crossing wounds; a fearful and severe punishment, formerly too often exercised for trivial offences.

The time when a kitten is full grown

The time when a kitten is full grown

The time when a kitten is full grown

Cathood. The time when a kitten is full grown, it is then a cat and has attained maturity, that is, cathood.

Cat-hook. A strong hook fitted to the cat-block.

Cat-lap. Weak tea, only fit for the cat to lap, or thin milk and water. In Kent and Sussex it is also often applied to small, very small beer; even thin gruel is called "cat-lap." Weak tea is also called "scandal-broth."

Cat-harping fashion Drinking crossways and not

Cat-harping fashion Drinking crossways and not

Cat-harping fashion Drinking crossways and not

Cat-harping fashion. Drinking crossways, and not as usual, over the left thumb. Sea term. Grose.

Cat-head. "A strong beam, projecting horizontally over the ship's bows, carrying two or three sheaves, above which a rope, called the cat-fall, passes, and communicates with the cat-block." Marine Dictionary.

Sometimes applied to a horse with weak hind-legs

Sometimes applied to a horse with weak hind-legs

Sometimes applied to a horse with weak hind-legs

Cat-hamed., or hammed. Awkward; sometimes applied to a horse with weak hind-legs, and which drops suddenly behind on its haunches, as a cat is said to do.

Cat-handed. A Devonshire term for awkward.

Cat-harpings. "Rope sewing to brace in the shrouds of the lower masts behind their respective yards, to tighten the shrouds and give more room to draw in the yards when the ship is close hauled." Marine Dictionary.

King John Act IV

King John Act IV

King John Act IV

King John, Act IV.

Cat-eyed. Sly, gray eyes, or with large pupils, watchful.

Cat-fall. A rope used in ships for hoisting the anchor to the cat-head.

Catfish. A species of the squalus, or shark (Felis marinus). The catfish of North America is a species of cottus, or bull-head.

Catgut. A corruption of "gut-cord." The intestines of a sheep, twisted and dried; not that of a cat, as generally supposed. Also, it is stated by some, the finer strings for viols were made from the cat. Mr. Timbs says the original reading in Shakespeare was "calves'-gut." "A sort of linen or canvas with wide interstices." Webster.

Shakespeare Twelfth Night Act II

Shakespeare Twelfth Night Act II

Shakespeare Twelfth Night Act II

Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Act II., Scene 3.

"To yawl. To squall or scream harshly like an enraged cat." Holloway (Norfolk).

"Thou must be patient; we came crying hither;
Thou knowest the first time that we smell air,
We waul and cry."

The last part of the word was probably assimilated to piller

The last part of the word was probably assimilated to piller

The last part of the word was probably assimilated to piller

Caterpillar. "Catyrpelwyrm among fruit" is corrupted from old French Chatte peleuse (Palsgrave, 1530). "Hairy cat;" the last part of the word was probably assimilated to piller, a robber or despoiler (Palmer's Folk Etymology).

Caterwauling. The wrawl of cats in rutting times; any hideous noise. Topsel gives catwralling, to "wrall;" "wrawl," to rail or quarrel with a loud voice; hence the Yorkshire expression, "raising a wrow," meaning a row or quarrel. There is also the archaic adjective wraw (angry). Caterwaul, therefore, is the wawl or wrawl of cats; the er being either a plural, similar to "childer" (children), or a corrupted genitive. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.

"What a caterwawling do you keep here!"

The ancients divided their dramas into four parts

The ancients divided their dramas into four parts

The ancients divided their dramas into four parts

Cat-call. "A tin whistle. The ancients divided their dramas into four parts: pro'tasis (introduction), epit'asis (continuation), catas'tasis (climax), and catas'trophë (conclusion or dénouement). The cat-call is the call for the cat or catastrophe." Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable.

"Sound, sound, ye viols; be the cat-call dumb."

Dunciade, I. 303.

The modern imitation of "cat-calls" is caused by whistling with two fingers in the mouth, and so making an intensely shrill noise, with waulings imitating "catterwaulings." Also a shrill tin whistle, round and flat, set against the teeth.

Cat-eaten Street. In London; properly "Catte Street" (Stow).