cat's-paw
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cat's-paw
also cats·paw (kăts′pô′)n. pl. cat's-paws also cats·paws
1. A person used by another as a dupe or tool.
2. A light breeze that ruffles small areas of a water surface.
3. Nautical A knot made by twisting a section of rope to form two adjacent eyes through which a hook is passed, used in hoisting.
[From a fable about a monkey that used a cat's paw to pull chestnuts out of a fire.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
cat's-paw
n
1. a person used by another as a tool; dupe
2. (Knots) nautical a hitch in the form of two loops, or eyes, in the bight of a line, used for attaching it to a hook
3. (Physical Geography) a pattern of ripples on the surface of water caused by a light wind
[(sense 1) C18: so called from the tale of the monkey who used a cat's paw to draw chestnuts out of a fire]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
cat's′-paw`
or cats′paw`,
n.
1. a person who is exploited by another; tool.
2. a light breeze that ruffles the surface of the water over a small area.
3. a hitch made in the bight of a rope to hold the hook of a tackle.
[1650–60; definition 1 so called in allusion to the story of the monkey that used a cat's paw to pull chestnuts from the fire]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Noun | 1. | cat's-paw - a person used by another to gain an end |
| 2. | cat's-paw - a hitch in the middle of rope that has two eyes into which tackle can be hooked hitch - a knot that can be undone by pulling against the strain that holds it; a temporary knot |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
cat's-paw
also catspawnoun
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
cat’s-paw
n → Handlanger m
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007