English Explanatory Dictionary

Cheshire cat

English dictionary entry

Meanings

name
  1. A fictional cat with a broad fixed grin, made popular by Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865).
  2. A technique that involves hiding a class's data behind a pointer, so that the code remains binary-compatible even after future changes to members and functionality.

Pronunciation

/ˌtʃɛʃə ˈkat/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-Cheshire cat.wav /ˌtʃɛʃɚ ˈkæt/

Word forms

Cheshire cat the Cheshire cat Cheshire cats

Etymology

Term attested since at least the 1780s in the expression grin like a Cheshire cat. The reason why Cheshire was combined with cat is disputed: see here for more information.

Derived words

cheshirization grin like a Cheshire cat
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