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WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026cat1 /kæt/USA pronunciation
n. [countable]
- Mammalsa small, furry, carnivorous animal often kept as a pet:Our cats like to play with string.
- Mammalsa grouping of similar animals, as the lion, tiger, leopard, or jaguar, and including numerous small wild cats:The cats were kept next to the bears at the zoo.
- Slang TermsSlang.
- a person, esp. a man:a cool cat.
Idioms
- Idioms let the cat out of the bag, to reveal, tell, or make known a secret.
cat.,
an abbreviation of:- catalog;
catalogue.
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026rain /reɪn/USA pronunciation
n.
- Meteorology[uncountable] water that is condensed from the vapor in the atmosphere and falls to earth in drops.
- Meteorologya rainfall, rainstorm, or shower: [countable]a heavy rain.[uncountable]a fifty percent chance of rain.
- Meteorology rains, [plural;
usually: the + ~] a rainy season;
seasonal rainfall.
- a heavy and continuous fall of something usually unwelcome:[countable* usually singular]a rain of blows.
v.
- (of rain) to fall:[no object;it + ~]It rained all night.
- to (cause to) come down like rain: [no object]Bombs rained from above. Tears rained from their eyes.[~ + object]The jets rained bombs down on the enemy position.
- to offer or give in great quantity;
shower:[~ + object]to rain favors upon a person.
- rain out, [~ + object;
usually: be + ~-ed] to cancel or postpone because of rain:The last game was rained out.
Idioms
- Idioms rain cats and dogs, to rain heavily.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026cat1
(kat),USA pronunciation n., v., cat•ted, cat•ting. n.
- Mammalsa small domesticated carnivore, Felis domestica or F. catus, bred in a number of varieties.
- any of several carnivores of the family Felidae, as the lion, tiger, leopard or jaguar, etc.
- Slang Terms
- a person, esp. a man.
- a devotee of jazz.
- Sex and Gendera woman given to spiteful or malicious gossip.
- Textilesthe fur of the domestic cat.
- a cat-o'-nine-tails.
- Games
- British Terms[Chiefly Brit.]the tapering piece of wood used in the game of tipcat.
- British Terms[Chiefly Brit.]the game itself.
- See four old cat, one old cat, three old cat, two old cat.
- Nautical, Naval Termsa catboat.
- Nautical, Naval Termsa catamaran.
- Fisha catfish.
- Nautical, Naval Termsa tackle used in hoisting an anchor to the cathead.
- a double tripod having six legs but resting on only three no matter how it is set down, usually used before or over a fire.
- Nautical, Naval Terms, Informal Terms[Navy Informal.]catapult (def. 2).
- Military(in medieval warfare) a movable shelter for providing protection when approaching a fortification.
- Idioms bell the cat, to attempt something formidable or dangerous.
- Idioms let the cat out of the bag, to divulge a secret, esp. inadvertently or carelessly:He let the cat out of the bag, and the surprise party wasn't a surprise after all.
v.t.
- to flog with a cat-o'-nine-tails.
- Nautical, Naval Termsto hoist (an anchor) and secure to a cathead.
v.i.
- British Termsto vomit.
- Slang Terms cat around:
- to spend one's time aimlessly or idly.
- to seek sexual activity indiscriminately;
tomcat.
- Gmc), Late Latin cattus, catta (first attested in the 4th century, presumably with the introduction of domestic cats); ultimately origin, originally obscure
- bef. 900; Middle English cat, catte, Old English catt (masculine), catte (feminine); cognate with Old Frisian, Middle Dutch katte, Old High German kazza, Old Norse kǫttr, Irish cat, Welsh cath (Slavic *kotù, Lithuanian katė̃ perh.
,
- [Trademark.]a Caterpillar tractor.
CAT,
- Meteorologyclear-air turbulence.
- Medicinecomputerized axial tomography. Cf. CAT scanner.
cat.,
- catalog;
catalogue.
- catechism.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026rain
(rān),USA pronunciation n.
- Meteorologywater that is condensed from the aqueous vapor in the atmosphere and falls to earth in drops more than 1⁄50 in. (0.5 mm) in diameter. Cf. drizzle (def. 6).
- Meteorologya rainfall, rainstorm, or shower:We had a light rain this afternoon.
- Meteorology rains, the rainy season;
seasonal rainfall, as in India.
- Meteorologyweather marked by steady or frequent rainfall:We had rain most of last summer.
- a heavy and continuous descent or inflicting of anything:a rain of blows; a rain of vituperation.
v.i.
- (of rain) to fall (usually used impersonally with it as subject):It rained all night.
- to fall like rain:Tears rained from their eyes.
- to send down rain:The lightning flashed and the sky rained on us in torrents.
v.t.
- to send down in great quantities, as small pieces or objects:People on rooftops rained confetti on the parade.
- to offer, bestow, or give in great quantity:to rain favors upon a person.
- to deal, hurl, fire, etc., repeatedly:to rain blows on someone's head.
- rain cats and dogs, [Informal.]to rain very heavily or steadily:We canceled our picnic because it rained cats and dogs.
- rain out, to cause, by raining, the cancellation or postponement of a sports event, performance, or the like:The double-header was rained out yesterday.
- bef. 900; (noun, nominal) Middle English rein; Old English regn, rēn, cognate with Dutch, German regen, Old Norse regn, Gothic rign; (verb, verbal) Middle English reinen, Old English regnian
10. lavish, shower, pour.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
cat /kæt/ n - Also called: domestic cat a small domesticated feline mammal, Felis catus (or domesticus), having thick soft fur and occurring in many breeds in which the colour of the fur varies greatly: kept as a pet or to catch rats and mice
- Also called: big cat any of the larger felines, such as a lion or tiger
- any wild feline mammal of the genus Felis, such as the lynx or serval, resembling the domestic cat
Related adjective(s): feline - old-fashioned derogatory someone who gossips maliciously
- slang a man; guy
- a heavy tackle for hoisting an anchor to the cathead
- a short sharp-ended piece of wood used in the game of tipcat
- short for catboat
- short for cat-o'-nine-tails
- a bag of cats ⇒ Irish informal a bad-tempered person: she's a real bag of cats this morning
- fight like Kilkenny cats ⇒ to fight until both parties are destroyed
- let the cat out of the bag ⇒ to disclose a secret, often by mistake
- like a cat on a hot tin roof, like a cat on hot bricks ⇒ in an uneasy or agitated state
- like cat and dog ⇒ quarrelling savagely
- look like something the cat brought in ⇒ to appear dishevelled or bedraggled
- not a cat in hell's chance ⇒ no chance at all
- not have room to swing a cat ⇒ to have very little space
- play cat and mouse ⇒ to play with a person or animal in a cruel or teasing way, esp before a final act of cruelty or unkindness
- put the cat among the pigeons ⇒ to introduce some violently disturbing new element
- rain cats and dogs ⇒ to rain very heavily
vb (cats, catting, catted)- (transitive) to flog with a cat-o'-nine-tails
- (transitive) to hoist (an anchor) to the cathead
- (intransitive) a slang word for vomit
Etymology: Old English catte, from Latin cattus; related to Old Norse köttr, Old High German kazza, Old French chat, Russian kotˈcatˌlike adj ˈcattish adj cat /kæt/ n - informal short for catamaran
cat /kæt/ n - short for catalytic converter
- (as modifier): a cat car
adj - short for catalytic: a cat cracker
'rain cats and dogs' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
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