Cat-o'-nine-tails Definition

kătə-nīntālz
noun
A whip made of nine knotted cords attached to a handle, formerly used for flogging.
Webster's New World
A similarly constructed leather nine-tail whip, as used in British penal colonies and certain armies.
Wiktionary
Synonyms:

Other Word Forms of Cat-o'-nine-tails

Noun

Singular:
cat-o'-nine-tails
Plural:
cats-o-nine-tails

Origin of Cat-o'-nine-tails

  • Cat + of + nine + tails, attested since 1695.

    From Wiktionary

  • So called because it leaves marks like the scratches of a cat

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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CCACAT

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SLSILS

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cat-o'-nine-tails

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