English Explanatory Dictionary

cat-o'-nine-tails

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A scourge (multi-tail whip) having nine, often knotted, whipcords, formerly used for flogging as naval punishment.
  2. A similarly constructed leather nine-tail whip, as used in British penal colonies and certain armies.

Pronunciation

En-us-cat-o'-nine-tails.ogg

Word forms

cat-o'-nine-tails cats-o'-nine-tails cat-o'-nine

Etymology

From cat + o' + nine + tails, cat referring to the inflicted wounds resembling the scratches of a cat. First attested in 1695.

Translations

Chinese Mandarin: 九尾鞭 Chinese Mandarin: 九尾猫 Czech: důtky Czech: devítiocasá kočka Danish: nihalet kat Dutch: kat met negen staarten Esperanto: naŭvosta kato Finnish: yhdeksänhäntäinen kissa French: chat à neuf queues German: neunschwänzige Katze Hebrew: חָתוּל בַּעַל תִּשְׁעַת הַזְנָבוֹת Hungarian: kilencfarkú macska Indonesian: cambuk Italian: gatto a nove code Korean: 아홉꼬리 고양이 Norwegian: nihalet katt Norwegian: katt Polish: kańczug Portuguese: chicote Russian: ко́шка Russian: девятихво́стка Spanish: gato de nueve colas Swedish: niosvansad katt
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