Idioms for cat
bell the cat,
to attempt something formidable or dangerous.
let the cat out of the bag,
to divulge a secret, especially inadvertently or carelessly: He let the cat out of the bag, and the surprise party wasn't a surprise after all.
Origin of cat
before 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
*kotŭ, Lithuanian
katė̃ perhaps < Gmc), Late Latin
cattus, catta (first attested in the 4th century, presumably with the introduction of domestic cats); ultimately origin obscure
Words nearby cat
British Dictionary definitions for let the cat out of the bag (1 of 4)
CAT
abbreviation for
computer-aided teaching
computer-assisted trading
British Dictionary definitions for let the cat out of the bag (2 of 4)
cat
1
/ (kæt) /
noun
verb cats, catting or catted
Derived forms of cat
catlike, adjective cattish, adjectiveWord Origin for cat
Old English
catte, from Latin
cattus; related to Old Norse
köttr, Old High German
kazza, Old French
chat, Russian
kot
British Dictionary definitions for let the cat out of the bag (3 of 4)
British Dictionary definitions for let the cat out of the bag (4 of 4)
cat
3
/ (kæt) /
noun
- short for catalytic converter
- (as modifier)a cat car
adjective
short for catalytic a cat cracker
Medical definitions for let the cat out of the bag
CAT
abbr.
computerized axial tomography
Cultural definitions for let the cat out of the bag
let the cat out of the bag
To disclose a secret: “The mayor's visit was to be kept strictly confidential, but someone must have let the cat out of the bag, because the airport was swarming with reporters.”
Idioms and Phrases with let the cat out of the bag (1 of 2)
let the cat out of the bag
Give away a secret, as in Mom let the cat out of the bag and told us Karen was engaged. This expression alludes to the dishonest practice of a merchant substituting a worthless cat for a valuable pig, which is discovered only when the buyer gets home and opens the bag. [Mid-1700s] Also see pig in a poke.
Idioms and Phrases with let the cat out of the bag (2 of 2)
cat