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cat-o'-nine-tails

noun

Etymology

From cat + o' + nine + tails, cat referring to the inflicted wounds resembling the scratches of a cat. First attested in 1695.

Definitions

  1. A scourge (multi-tail whip) having nine, often knotted, whipcords, formerly used for…

    A scourge (multi-tail whip) having nine, often knotted, whipcords, formerly used for flogging as naval punishment.

    • But I do tell you one thing, if you ſhould give ſuch Language at Sea, you'd have a Cat o' Nine-tails laid croſs your Shoulders.

  2. A similarly constructed leather nine-tail whip, as used in British penal colonies and…

    A similarly constructed leather nine-tail whip, as used in British penal colonies and certain armies.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at cat-o'-nine-tails. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

01cat-o'-nine-tails02leather03ball04analogue05bears06bear07tail

A definitional loop anchored at cat-o'-nine-tails. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

7 hops · closes at cat-o'-nine-tails

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA