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
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 Web
Alexander Tin, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2025
One recounted her survivalist ex’s extreme frugality like using Entenmann’s pie plates for hub caps or bringing cats into the house to heat up the place.
—Jeryl Brunner, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
TikTok users were able to see a touching moment play out between the woman and her new cat.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
This includes limiting ongoing bird flu outbreaks by preventing contaminated food from sickening household cats that could then expose people in their own homes, the veterinarian said.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cat
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Noun
Several multistate recalls of pet food for bird flu contamination have been announced by health authorities in recent months, after cats and other animals were sickened.
—Alexander Tin, CBS News, 3 Apr. 2025
One recounted her survivalist ex’s extreme frugality like using Entenmann’s pie plates for hub caps or bringing cats into the house to heat up the place.
—Jeryl Brunner, Forbes.com, 2 Apr. 2025
TikTok users were able to see a touching moment play out between the woman and her new cat.
—Jason D. Greenblatt, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Apr. 2025
This includes limiting ongoing bird flu outbreaks by preventing contaminated food from sickening household cats that could then expose people in their own homes, the veterinarian said.
—Eduardo Cuevas, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cat
Cite this Entry
“Cat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cat. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical 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
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