Part 1693

<note>The word <i>cat</i> is also used to designate other animals, from some fancied resemblance; as, civet <i>cat</i>, fisher <i>cat</i>, <i>cat</i>bird, <i>cat</i>fish shark, sea <i>cat</i>.</note>

<p><b>2.</b> <fld>(Naut.)</fld> <sd>(a)</sd> <def>A strong vessel with a narrow stern, projecting quarters, and deep waist. It is employed in the coal and timber trade.</def> <sd>(b)</sd> <def>A strong tackle used to draw an anchor up to the cathead of a ship.</def>

<i>Totten.</i>

<p><b>3.</b> <def>A double tripod (for holding a plate, etc.), having six feet, of which three rest on the ground, in whatever position in is placed.</def>

<p><b>4.</b> <def>An old game; <sd>(a)</sd> The game of tipcat and the implement with which it is played. See <er>Tipcat</er>. <sd>(c)</sd> A game of ball, called, according to the number of batters, <i>one old cat</i>, <i>two old cat</i>, etc.</def>

<p><b>5.</b> <def>A cat o' nine tails. See below.</def>

<cs><mcol><col>Angora cat</col>, <col>blind cat</col></mcol>, <cd>See under <er>Angora</er>, <er>Blind</er>.</cd> -- <col>Black cat</col> <cd>the fisher. See under <er>Black</er>.</cd> -- <col>Cat and dog</col>, <cd>like a cat and dog; quarrelsome; inharmonius.</cd> "I am sure we have lived a <i>cat and dog<i> life of it." <i>Coleridge</i>. -- <col>Cat block</col> <fld>(Naut.)</fld>, <cd>a heavy iron-strapped block with a large hook, part of the tackle used in drawing an anchor up to the cathead.</cd> -- <col>Cat hook</col> <fld>(Naut.)</fld>, <cd>a strong hook attached to a cat block.</cd> -- <col>Cat nap</col>, <cd>a very short sleep.</cd> <mark>[Colloq.]</mark> -- <col>Cat o' nine tails</col>, <cd>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.</cd> -- <col>Cat's cradle</col>, <cd>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 <er>Cratch</er>, <er>Cratch cradle</er>.</cd> -- <col>To let the cat out of the bag</col>, <cd>to tell a secret, carelessly or willfully.</cd> <mark>[Colloq.]</mark> -- <col>Bush cat</col>, <cd>the serval. See <er>Serval</er>.</cd></cs>

<h1>Cat</h1> <Xpage=225>

<hw>Cat</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>v. t.</tt> <wordforms>[<tt>imp. & p. p.</tt> <er>tted</er>; <tt>p. pr. & vb. n.</tt> <er>Catting</er>.]</wordforms> <fld>(Naut.)</fld> <def>To bring to the cathead; <as>as, to <ex>cat</ex> an anchor</as>. See <er>Anchor</er>.</def>

<i>Totten.</i>

<h1>Cata</h1> <Xpage=225>

<hw>Cat"a</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>. <ety>[Gr. <grk>kata`</grk>.]</ety> <def>The Latin and English form of a Greek preposition, used as a prefix to signify <i>down</i>, <i>downward</i>, <i>under</i>, <i>against</i>, <i>contrary</i> or <i>opposed to</i>, <i>wholly</i>, <i>completely</i>; as in <i>cata</i>clysm, <i>cata</i>rrh. It sometimes drops the final vowel, as in <i>cato</i>ptric; and is sometimes changed to <i>cath</i>, as in <i>cath</i>artic, <i>cath</i>olic.</def>

<h1>Catabaptist</h1> <Xpage=225>

<hw>Cat`a*bap"tist</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[Pref. <ets>cata + aptist</ets>. See <er>Baptist</er>.]</ety> <fld>(Eccl.)</fld> <def>One who opposes baptism, especially of infants.</def> <mark>[Obs.]</mark>

<i>Featley.</i>

<h1>Catabasion</h1> <Xpage=225>

<hw>Cat`a*ba"sion</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>n.</tt> <ety>[NL., fr. Gr. <?/.]</ety> <def>A vault under altar of a Greek church.</def>

<h1>Catabiotic</h1> <Xpage=225>

<hw>Cat`a*bi*ot"ic</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <def>Aee under <er>Force</er>.</def>

<h1>Catacaustic</h1> <Xpage=225>

<hw>Cat`a*caus"tic</hw> <tt>(?)</tt>, <tt>a.</tt> <ety>[Pref. <ets>cata + caustic</ets>.]</ety> <fld>(Physics)</fld> <def>Relating to, or having the properties of, a caustic curve formed by reflection. See <er>Caustic</er>, <tt>a.</tt></def>

<i>Nichol.</i>

<h1>Catacaustic</h1> <Xpage=225>

<hw>Cat`a*caus"tic</hw>, <tt>n.</tt> <fld>(Physics)</fld> <def>A caustic curve formed by reflection of light.</def>

<i>Nichol.</i>

<h1>Catachresis</h1> <Xpage=225>

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

<h1>Catachrestic, Catachrestical</h1> <Xpage=225>