cat's-paw

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cat's-paw

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:
Noun1.cat's-paw - a person used by another to gain an end
assistant, helper, help, supporter - a person who contributes to the fulfillment of a need or furtherance of an effort or purpose; "my invaluable assistant"; "they hired additional help to finish the work"
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 catspaw
noun
A person used or controlled by others:
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

cat's-paw

[ˈkætspɔː] N (fig) → instrumento m
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

nHandlanger m
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
References in classic literature ?
They flew in scraps and fragments, turf, trees, and gravel leapt and fell; the aeronauts still lying along the canal bank were thrown about like sacks, catspaws flew across the foaming water.
There was no wind--not even a catspaw. The season of the southeast trade was drawing to an early close, and the northwest monsoon had not yet begun to blow.
I was his right hand, and yet he never hesitated to make me his catspaw. This time, at all.
The cat is sleek and smooth, gliding stealthily throughout the house on his catspaws, never causing a creak or a crunch.