Florida panther

Florida panther
cat cat (k[a^]t), n. [AS. cat; akin to D. & Dan. kat, Sw. katt, Icel. k["o]ttr, G. katze, kater, Ir. cat, W. cath, Armor. kaz, LL. catus, Bisc. catua, NGr. ga`ta, ga`tos, Russ. & Pol. kot, Turk. kedi, Ar. qitt; of unknown origin. Cf. {Kitten}.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) Any animal belonging to the natural family {Felidae}, and in particular to the various species of the genera {Felis}, {Panthera}, and {Lynx}. The domestic cat is {Felis domestica}. The European wild cat ({Felis catus}) is much larger than the domestic cat. In the United States the name {wild cat} is commonly applied to the bay lynx ({Lynx rufus}). The larger felines, such as the lion, tiger, leopard, and cougar, are often referred to as cats, and sometimes as big cats. See {Wild cat}, and {Tiger cat}. [1913 Webster +PJC]

Note: The domestic cat includes many varieties named from their place of origin or from some peculiarity; as, the {Angora cat}; the {Maltese cat}; the {Manx cat}; the {Siamese cat}. [1913 Webster]

Laying aside their often rancorous debate over how best to preserve the {Florida panther}, state and federal wildlife officials, environmentalists, and independent scientists endorsed the proposal, and in 1995 the eight cats [female Texas cougars] were brought from Texas and released. . . . Uprooted from the arid hills of West Texas, three of the imports have died, but the remaining five adapted to swamp life and have each given birth to at least one litter of kittens. --Mark Derr (N. Y. Times, Nov. 2, 1999, Science Times p. F2). [PJC]

Note: The word cat is also used to designate other animals, from some fancied resemblance; as, civet cat, fisher cat, catbird, catfish shark, sea cat. [1913 Webster]

2. (Naut.) (a) A strong vessel with a narrow stern, projecting quarters, and deep waist. It is employed in the coal and timber trade. (b) A strong tackle used to draw an anchor up to the cathead of a ship. --Totten. [1913 Webster]

3. A double tripod (for holding a plate, etc.), having six feet, of which three rest on the ground, in whatever position it is placed. [1913 Webster]

4. An old game; specifically: (a) The game of tipcat and the implement with which it is played. See {Tipcat}. (b) A game of ball, called, according to the number of batters, one old cat, two old cat, etc. [1913 Webster]

5. same as {cat o' nine tails}; as, British sailors feared the cat. [1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5]

6. A {catamaran}. [PJC]

{Angora cat}, {blind cat}, See under {Angora}, {Blind}.

{Black cat} the fisher. See under {Black}.

{Cat and dog}, like a cat and dog; quarrelsome; inharmonious. ``I am sure we have lived a cat and dog life of it.'' --Coleridge.

{Cat block} (Naut.), a heavy iron-strapped block with a large hook, part of the tackle used in drawing an anchor up to the cathead.

{Cat hook} (Naut.), a strong hook attached to a cat block.

{Cat nap}, a very short sleep. [Colloq.]

{Cat o' nine tails}, an instrument of punishment consisting of nine pieces of knotted line or cord fastened to a handle; -- formerly used to flog offenders on the bare back.

{Cat's cradle}, game played, esp. by children, with a string looped on the fingers so, as to resemble small cradle. The string is transferred from the fingers of one to those of another, at each transfer with a change of form. See {Cratch}, {Cratch cradle}.

{To bell the cat}, to perform a very dangerous or very difficult task; -- taken metaphorically from a fable about a mouse who proposes to put a bell on a cat, so as to be able to hear the cat coming.

{To let the cat out of the bag}, to tell a secret, carelessly or willfully. [Colloq.]

{Bush cat}, the serval. See {Serval}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Florida panther — Taxobox name = Florida Panther status = CR trend = unknown status system = iucn3.1 status ref = IUCN2006 | assessors = Cat Specialist Group | year = 1996 | id = 18869 | title = Puma concolor ssp. coryi | downloaded = 2007 06 26 Database entry… …   Wikipedia

  • Florida-Panther — Puma Puma (Puma concolor) Systematik Ordnung: Raubtiere (Carnivora) Überfamilie …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Florida Panther — Puma Puma (Puma concolor) Systematik Ordnung: Raubtiere (Carnivora) Überfamilie …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge — Pays  États Unis État Floride Comté Comté de Collier …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge — Infobox protected area | name = Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge iucn category = V caption = locator x = 234 locator y = 168 location = Collier County, Florida, U.S. nearest city = Naples lat degrees = lat minutes = lat seconds = lat… …   Wikipedia

  • Florida panther (disambiguation) — The Florida panther is a type of Cougar native to Florida. The term can also refer to:*Florida Panthers, an NHL hockey team. *FIU Golden Panthers, the mascot of Florida International University …   Wikipedia

  • Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge — Sp Flòridos Pantèrų nacionãlinis gamtõs rezervãtas Ap Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge L JAV (Florida) …   Pasaulio vietovardžiai. Internetinė duomenų bazė

  • Florida panther — noun Date: 1948 a highly endangered cougar (Felis concolor coryi) whose range is now limited to southern Florida …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • florida panther — noun Usage: usually capitalized F : a highly endangered cougar (Felis concolor coryi) whose range is now limited to southern Florida …   Useful english dictionary

  • Refuge faunique national Florida Panther — Panthère de Floride dans le Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. Catégorie UICN IV (aire de gestion des habitats/espèces) Pays …   Wikipédia en Français

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