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Felis catus

Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)



   {To run wild}, to go unrestrained or untamed; to live or
      untamed; to live or grow without culture or training.

   {To sow one's wild oats}. See under {Oat}.

   {Wild allspice}. (Bot.), spicewood.

   {Wild balsam apple} (Bot.), an American climbing
      cucurbitaceous plant ({Echinocystis lobata}).

   {Wild basil} (Bot.), a fragrant labiate herb ({Calamintha
      Clinopodium}) common in Europe and America.

   {Wild bean} (Bot.), a name of several leguminous plants,
      mostly species of {Phaseolus} and {Apios}.

   {Wild bee} (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous species of
      undomesticated social bees, especially the domestic bee
      when it has escaped from domestication and built its nest
      in a hollow tree or among rocks.

   {Wild bergamot}. (Bot.) See under {Bergamot}.

   {Wild boar} (Zo["o]l.), the European wild hog ({Sus scrofa}),
      from which the common domesticated swine is descended.

   {Wild brier} (Bot.), any uncultivated species of brier. See
      {Brier}.

   {Wild bugloss} (Bot.), an annual rough-leaved plant
      ({Lycopsis arvensis}) with small blue flowers.

   {Wild camomile} (Bot.), one or more plants of the composite
      genus {Matricaria}, much resembling camomile.

   {Wild cat}. (Zo["o]l.)
      (a) A European carnivore ({Felis catus}) somewhat
          resembling the domestic cat, but larger stronger, and
          having a short tail. It is destructive to the smaller
          domestic animals, such as lambs, kids, poultry, and
          the like.
      (b) The common American lynx, or bay lynx.
      (c) (Naut.) A wheel which can be adjusted so as to revolve
          either with, or on, the shaft of a capstan. --Luce.

   {Wild celery}. (Bot.) See {Tape grass}, under {Tape}.

   {Wild cherry}. (Bot.)
      (a) Any uncultivated tree which bears cherries. The wild
          red cherry is {Prunus Pennsylvanica}. The wild black
          cherry is {P. serotina}, the wood of which is much
          used for cabinetwork, being of a light red color and a
          compact texture.
      (b) The fruit of various species of {Prunus}.

   {Wild cinnamon}. See the Note under {Canella}.

   {Wild comfrey} (Bot.), an American plant ({Cynoglossum
      Virginicum}) of the Borage family. It has large bristly
      leaves and small blue flowers.

   {Wild cumin} (Bot.), an annual umbelliferous plant
      ({Lag[oe]cia cuminoides}) native in the countries about
      the Mediterranean.

   {Wild drake} (Zo["o]l.) the mallard.

   {Wild elder} (Bot.), an American plant ({Aralia hispida}) of
      the Ginseng family.

   {Wild fowl} (Zo["o]l.) any wild bird, especially any of those
      considered as game birds.

   {Wild goose} (Zo["o]l.), any one of several species of
      undomesticated geese, especially the Canada goose ({Branta
      Canadensis}), the European bean goose, and the graylag.
      See {Graylag}, and {Bean goose}, under {Bean}.

   {Wild goose chase}, the pursuit of something unattainable, or
      of something as unlikely to be caught as the wild goose.
      --Shak.

   {Wild honey}, honey made by wild bees, and deposited in
      trees, rocks, the like.

   {Wild hyacinth}. (Bot.) See {Hyacinth}, 1
      (b) .

   {Wild Irishman} (Bot.), a thorny bush ({Discaria Toumatou})
      of the Buckthorn family, found in New Zealand, where the
      natives use the spines in tattooing.

   {Wild land}.
      (a) Land not cultivated, or in a state that renders it
          unfit for cultivation.
      (b) Land which is not settled and cultivated.

   {Wild licorice}. (Bot.) See under {Licorice}.

   {Wild mammee} (Bot.), the oblong, yellowish, acid fruit of a
      tropical American tree ({Rheedia lateriflora}); -- so
      called in the West Indies.

   {Wild marjoram} (Bot.), a labiate plant ({Origanum vulgare})
      much like the sweet marjoram, but less aromatic.

   {Wild oat}. (Bot.)
      (a) A tall, oatlike kind of soft grass ({Arrhenatherum
          avenaceum}).
      (b) See {Wild oats}, under {Oat}.

   {Wild pieplant} (Bot.), a species of dock ({Rumex
      hymenosepalus}) found from Texas to California. Its acid,
      juicy stems are used as a substitute for the garden
      rhubarb.

   {Wild pigeon}. (Zo["o]l.)
      (a) The rock dove.
      (b) The passenger pigeon.

   {Wild pink} (Bot.), an American plant ({Silene
      Pennsylvanica}) with pale, pinkish flowers; a kind of
      catchfly.

   {Wild plantain} (Bot.), an arborescent endogenous herb
      ({Heliconia Bihai}), much resembling the banana. Its
      leaves and leaf sheaths are much used in the West Indies
      as coverings for packages of merchandise.

   {Wild plum}. (Bot.)
      (a) Any kind of plum growing without cultivation.
      (b) The South African prune. See under {Prune}.

   {Wild rice}. (Bot.) See {Indian rice}, under {Rice}.

   {Wild rosemary} (Bot.), the evergreen shrub {Andromeda
      polifolia}. See {Marsh rosemary}, under {Rosemary}.

   {Wild sage}. (Bot.) See {Sagebrush}.

   {Wild sarsaparilla} (Bot.), a species of ginseng ({Aralia
      nudicaulis}) bearing a single long-stalked leaf.

   {Wild sensitive plant} (Bot.), either one of two annual
      leguminous herbs ({Cassia Cham[ae]crista}, and {C.
      nictitans}), in both of which the leaflets close quickly
      when the plant is disturbed.

   {Wild service}.(Bot.) See {Sorb}.

   {Wild Spaniard} (Bot.), any one of several umbelliferous
      plants of the genus {Aciphylla}, natives of New Zealand.
      The leaves bear numerous bayonetlike spines, and the
      plants form an impenetrable thicket.

   {Wild turkey}. (Zo["o]l.) See 2d {Turkey}.

Cat \Cat\, n. [AS. cat; akin to D. & Dan. kat, Sw. kett, Icel.
   k["o]ttr, G. katze, kater, Ir. Cat, W. cath, Armor. kaz, LL.
   catus, Bisc. catua, NGr. ?, ?, Russ. & Pol. cot, Turk. kedi,
   Ar. qitt; of unknown origin. CF. {Ketten}.]
   1. (Zo["o]l.) An animal of various species of the genera
      {Felis} 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}) See
      {Wild cat}, and {Tiger cat}.

   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}.

   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.

   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.

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

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

   5. A cat o' nine tails. See below.

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

   {Bush cat}, the serval. See {Serval}.

Source : WordNet®

Felis catus
     n : any domesticated member of the genus Felis [syn: {domestic
         cat}, {house cat}, {Felis domesticus}]
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