bell the cat

To undertake the leading part in any hazardous enterprise, from the fable of the mice who proposed to hang a warning bell round the cat's neck

clear as a bell

(of a sound) distinct and pure in tone

give someone a bell (slang)

To telephone someone

ring a bell

To begin to arouse a memory

ring the bell

To achieve a great success (from the bell of a shooting-gallery bull's-eye)

ring the bells backward

To reverse the order of chimes

sound as a bell

In perfect condition, health, etc

cat¹ /kat/

noun

1. A carnivore of the genus Felis, esp the domesticated kind or any of the smaller wild species
2. A spiteful or malicious woman (derogatory)
3. A piece of wood tapering at each end, struck with the catˈ-stick in the game of tipcat
4. The game of tipcat
5. A cat-o'-nine-tails
6. A heavy tackle for raising the anchor to the cathead (nautical)
7. A movable penthouse to protect besiegers (historical)
8. A double tripod with six legs
9. A showily dressed man (old slang)
10. A man, chap (slang)
11. A jazz fan (slang)
12. A coward or timid animal (Aust sl)
13. Short for caterpillar (tractor)

transitive verb

1. To lash with a cat-o'-nine-tails
2. To raise the anchor to the cathead (nautical)
3. To vomit

catˈhood noun

The state of being a cat or having the nature of a cat

catˈkin noun

A crowded spike or tuft of small unisexual flowers with reduced scalelike bracts, found on wind-pollinated plants such as willow, hazel, etc

catˈlike adjective

1. Like a cat
2. Noiseless, stealthy

catˈling noun

1. A surgical knife used in amputations
2. A little cat, a kitten (archaic)
3. A catgut string (Shakespeare)

cattˈery noun

A place where cats are bred, or cared for in their owners' absence

cattˈish or cattˈy adjective

1. Like a cat
2. Spiteful
3. Backbiting

cattˈishly or cattˈily adverb

cattˈishness or cattˈiness noun

catˈamount noun

Any of various large wild cats, applied esp to the puma and the lynx

catamounˈtain or cat o’ mountain noun

Any of various large wild cats, applied esp to the leopard, panther or ocelot

adjective

Ferocious, savage

cat-and-dogˈ adjective

Constantly quarrelling

cat-and-mouseˈ adjective

1. Used of harassing or toying with an opponent, victim, etc before finally killing, defeating or otherwise disposing of them
2. Also of waiting and watching for the right moment to attack and dispose of one's opponent

catˈbird noun

1. An American bird of the thrush family with a mewing note
2. Any Australian bowerbird having a catlike call

catˈ-burglar noun

A burglar who performs nimble climbing feats or employs stealth and agility to gain access to premises

catˈcall noun

1. Formerly, a squeaking instrument used in theatres to express disapprobation
2. A shrill whistle or cry expressing disapproval or derision, esp at an artiste's performance

intransitive verb

To make a catcall

transitive verb

To direct catcalls at

cat-cracker noun see separate entry.

cat door noun

A cat-flap

catˈ-eyed adjective

1. Having eyes like a cat
2. Able to see in the dark

catˈ-fight noun (informal)

An unseemly fight, esp one between women involving slapping and scratching

catˈfish noun

1. A fish with catlike whiskers near its mouth
2. The wolffish

cat'flap noun

A small door set in a larger door to allow a cat entry and exit

catˈgut noun

1. A kind of cord made from the intestines of sheep and other animals used for violin strings, surgical ligatures, etc
2. The violin or other stringed instrument (old or facetious)
3. A coarse corded cloth

catˈ-hammed adjective

With thin hams like a cat's

catˈhead noun (nautical)

1. One of two strong beams projecting from the bow of a ship through which passes the tackle by which the anchor is raised
2. A spider tool, a lathe accessory consisting of a turned sleeve with four or more radial screws at each end (engineering)

catˈhole noun (nautical)

One of two holes in the after part of a ship through which hawsers may pass for steadying the ship or for heaving astern

catˈhouse noun

1. A brothel (esp N Am sl)
2. A place where cats are cared for

catˈ-lap noun

Any thin or unappetizing drink

cat litter noun

A granular absorbent material used to line a tray, on which a domestic cat may urinate and defecate indoors

catˈmint, catˈnep or catˈnip noun

A mint-like labiate plant (Nepeta cataria) attractive to cats

catˈnap noun

A brief sleep, esp without lying down

cat o’ mountain see catamountain above.

cat-o'-nineˈ-tails noun

A whip with nine knotted tails or lashes, once used in the army and navy

cat'sˈ-brains noun (archaic)

A geological formation of sandstone veined with chalk

cat's-craˈdle noun

1. A pastime in which a string looped about the fingers and passed from player to player is transformed from one symmetrical pattern to another
2. An impenetrably intricate set of regulations, instructions, etc

cat'sˈ-ear noun

Any plant of the European genus Hypochoeris of the family Compositae, having yellow dandelion-like flowers

cat'sˈ-eye noun

1. A name for various chatoyant minerals that resemble a cat's eye when polished, esp a greenish-yellow variety of chrysoberyl
2. (Cat's-eye®) a small reflector set in a frame fixed in a road surface to indicate traffic lanes

cat'sˈ-foot noun

1. A European plant (Antennaria dioica) of the family Compositae, having woolly leaves and white flowers (also called mountain-everlasting)
2. Ground ivy

catˈ-silver noun

A variety of silvery mica

catˈskin noun

cat'sˈ-meat noun

1. Horse's flesh, or the like, sold for cats
2. Any rather unappetizing food

cat'sˈ-paw noun

1. A person who is used by another (from the fable of the monkey who used the paws of the cat to draw chestnuts out of the fire)
2. A hitch in a rope providing two loops for a hook
3. A light breeze forming ripples on the water's surface (nautical)

cat'sˈ-tail noun

1. A catkin
2. Timothy-grass
3. The reed-mace or bulrush

catˈsuit noun

A type of one-piece trouser suit

cat's-whiskˈer noun (radio)

A delicate wire brought into contact with a crystal to rectify the current in some forms of crystal detector and produce audibility

catˈwalk noun

A narrow footway, eg on a bridge, above the stage in a theatre, or for the models in a fashion show

catˈ-witted adjective

Small-minded, conceited and spiteful

catˈworks noun (mining)

The assemblage of motors and catheads providing power for secondary activities on drilling platforms, eg pipe-hoisting

catˈworm noun

A polychaete worm (Nephthys hombergi) frequently used as a fishing bait (also called white worm)

bell the cat see under bell¹

big cats see the big cats below.

care killed the (or a) cat

Worry killed the cat, even with its proverbial nine lives

catted and fished

(of an anchor) raised to the cathead and secured to the ship's side

Cheshire cat /cheshˈər or cheshˈēr/

A cat renowned for grinning, like the Cheshire cat in Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

enough to make a cat laugh

Ie even the least inclined

in the catbird seat (N American)

In an advantageous position

Kilkenny cats

Proverbial cats who fight until each destroys the other

let the cat out of the bag

To disclose a secret

like a cat on hot bricks or on a hot tin roof (informal)

1. Uneasy, restive
2. Very nervous

like something the cat brought in or dragged in

Bedraggled, slovenly in dress, scruffy, etc

like the cat that's got the cream

Extremely smug or pleased with oneself

not have a cat in hell's chance (informal)

To have no chance at all

play cat-and-mouse with

To deal with in a cat-and-mouse way

put (or set) the cat among the pigeons

To stir up a great deal of trouble

rain cats and dogs (informal)

To rain very heavily

room to swing a cat

A minimum of space

see which way the cat jumps

To see how things are going to turn out before committing oneself (also wait for the cat to jump)

the big cats

Lions, tigers, leopards, etc

the cat's got your tongue

You seem unexpectedly reluctant to speak

the cat's pyjamas or the cat's whiskers (informal)

1. The very thing that is wanted, the ideal thing
2. Anyone or anything considered to be the best or greatest

turn (the) cat in (the) pan

To change sides with dexterity

wait for the cat to jump see see which way the cat jumps above.

whip the cat see under whip