cat-o'-nine-tails en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (US) audio
Etymology
From cat + o' + nine + tails, cat referring to the inflicted wounds resembling the scratches of a cat. First attested in 1695.
Meanings
-
A scourge (multi-tail whip) having nine, often knotted, whipcords, formerly used for flogging as naval punishment.
But I do tell you one thing, if you ſhould give ſuch Language at Sea, you'd have a Cat o' Nine-tails laid croſs your Shoulders.
1695, [William] Congreve, Love for Love: A Comedy. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, Act III, scene vii, page 44:
- A similarly constructed leather nine-tail whip, as used in British penal colonies and certain armies.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| cat-o'-nine | alternative, short-form, uncommon | lexicographic | |
| cats-o'-nine-tails | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Hypernyms
Translations (23)
pl kańczug (nine-corded whip) · es gato de nueve colas (nine-corded whip) · cs důtky (nine-corded whip) · sv niosvansad katt (nine-corded whip) · id cambuk (nine-corded whip) · de neunschwänzige Katze (nine-corded whip) · da nihalet kat (nine-corded whip) · cs devítiocasá kočka (nine-corded whip) · ko 아홉꼬리 고양이 (nine-corded whip) · pt chicote (nine-corded whip) · fr chat à neuf queues (nine-corded whip) · he חָתוּל בַּעַל תִּשְׁעַת הַזְנָבוֹת (nine-corded whip) · no katt (nine-corded whip) · ru девятихво́стка (nine-corded whip) · it gatto a nove code (nine-corded whip) · no nihalet katt (nine-corded whip) · nl kat met negen staarten (nine-corded whip) · ru ко́шка (nine-corded whip) · cmn 九尾猫 (nine-corded whip) · fi yhdeksänhäntäinen kissa (nine-corded whip) · eo naŭvosta kato (nine-corded whip) · cmn 九尾鞭 (nine-corded whip) · hu kilencfarkú macska (nine-corded whip)