Part 108

{ Cas`u*is"tic (?), Cas`u*is"tic*al (?), } a. Of or pertaining to casuists or casuistry.

Cas"u*ist*ry (?), a. 1. The science or doctrine of dealing with cases of conscience, of resolving questions of right or wrong in conduct, or determining the lawfulness or unlawfulness of what a man may do by rules and principles drawn from the Scriptures, from the laws of society or the church, or from equity and natural reason; the application of general moral rules to particular cases.

The consideration of these nice and puzzling question in the science of ethics has given rise, in modern times, to a particular department of it, distinguished by the title of casuistry. Stewart.

Casuistry in the science of cases (i.e., oblique deflections from the general rule). De Quincey.

2. Sophistical, equivocal, or false reasoning or teaching in regard to duties, obligations, and morals.

||Ca"sus (?), n. [L.] An event; an occurrence; an occasion; a combination of circumstances; a case; an act of God. See the Note under Accident.

Casus belli, an event or combination of events which is a cause war, or may be alleged as a justification of war. -- Casus fortuitus, an accident against which due prudence could not have provided. See Act of God, under Act. -- Casus omissus, a case not provided for by the statute.

Cat (kăt), n. [AS. cat; akin to D. & Dan. kat, Sw. katt, Icel. k÷ttr, G. katze, kater, Ir. cat, W. cath, Armor. kaz, LL. catus, Bisc. catua, NGr. ga`ta, ga`tos, Russ. & Pol. kot, Turk. kedi, Ar. qitt; of unknown origin. Cf. Kitten.] 1. (Zo÷l.) An animal of various species of the genera Felis and Lynx. The domestic cat is Felis domestica. The European wild cat (Felis catus) is much larger than the domestic cat. In the United States the name wild cat is commonly applied to the bay lynx (Lynx rufus) See Wild cat, and Tiger cat.

&fist; 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 (?), 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.

Cat"a (?). [Gr. kata`.] The Latin and English form of a Greek preposition, used as a prefix to signify down, downward, under, against, contrary or opposed to, wholly, completely; as in cataclysm, catarrh. It sometimes drops the final vowel, as in catoptric; and is sometimes changed to cath, as in cathartic, catholic.

Cat`a*bap"tist (?), n. [Pref. cata + aptist. See Baptist.] (Eccl.) One who opposes baptism, especially of infants. [Obs.] Featley.

||Cat`a*ba"sion (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. kataba`sion.] A vault under altar of a Greek church.

Cat`a*bi*ot"ic (?), a. See under Force.

Cat`a*caus"tic (?), a. [Pref. cata + caustic.] (Physics) Relating to, or having the properties of, a caustic curve formed by reflection. See Caustic, a. Nichol.

Cat`a*caus"tic, n. (Physics) A caustic curve formed by reflection of light. Nichol.

Cat`a*chre"sis (?), n. [L. fr. Gr. &?; misuse, fr. &?; to misuse; kata` against + &?; to use.] (Rhet.) A figure by which one word is wrongly put for another, or by which a word is wrested from its true signification; as, "To take arms against a sea of troubles". Shak. "Her voice was but the shadow of a sound." Young.

{ Cat`a*chres"tic (?), Cat`a*chres"tic*al (?), } a. Belonging to, or in the manner of, a catachresis; wrested from its natural sense or form; forced; far-fetched.

-- Cat`a*chres"tic*al*ly, adv.

catachrestical and improper way of speaking. Jer. Taylor.

Cat"a*clysm (?), n. [L. cataclysmos, Gr. kataklysmo`s, from &?; to dash over, inundate; kata` downward, against + &?; to wash or dash over: cf. F. cataclysme.] 1. An extensive overflow or sweeping flood of water; a deluge.

2. (Geol.) Any violent catastrophe, involving sudden and extensive changes of the earth's surface.