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a small animal with soft fur that people often keep as a pet. Cats catch and kill birds and mice. 猫 a tin of cat food 一罐猫食 I have a cat called Bo. 我有一只叫波的猫。 a pet/domestic cat 宠物猫/家猫 a stray/feral cat 流浪猫/野猫
Extra ExamplesTopics Animalsa1Cats mark their territory by spraying. 猫撒尿标示自己的领地。 In our childhood Irina and I fought like cat and dog. 童年时我和伊丽娜斗得很兇。 The cat miaowed pitifully. 猫喵喵地叫得可怜。 The cat slunk away into the darkness. 猫溜走了，消失在黑暗中。 The cat was in constant pain so they had it put down. 这只猫疼痛不止，他们只好把它人道处理了。 The stray cats are wormed and treated with flea powder. 流浪猫给驱了肠虫和用药粉驱蚤。 There was a cat yowling outside my window last night. 昨晚有只猫在我窗前哀号。 They didn't want kittens, so they had their cat spayed. 他们不想要猫产崽，所以给它去了势。 We have a pet cat called Archie. 我们有一只叫阿奇的宠物猫。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- domestic
- family
- house
- …
- have
- keep
- own
- …
- hiss
- mew
- miaow/meow
- …
- door
- flap
- food
- …
- fight like cat and dog
- fight like cats and dogs
- play (a game of) cat and mouse
- …
a wild animal of the cat family 猫科动物 the big cats (= lions, tigers, etc.) 大型猫科动物（狮、虎等） She went to Africa to photograph big cats. 她去非洲拍摄大型猫科动物。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- domestic
- family
- house
- …
- have
- keep
- own
- …
- hiss
- mew
- miaow/meow
- …
- door
- flap
- food
- …
- fight like cat and dog
- fight like cats and dogs
- play (a game of) cat and mouse
- …
see also fat cat, wildcat
Word OriginOld English catt, catte, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kat and German Katze; reinforced in Middle English by forms from late Latin cattus.
Idioms
be the cat’s whiskers/pyjamas
be raining cats and dogs
- (informal)
to be raining heavily 下倾盆大雨
(has the) cat got your tongue?
curiosity killed the cat
- (saying)
used to tell somebody not to ask questions or try to find out about things that do not involve them 好奇害死猫（让人别提问或打听与己无关的事情）
let the cat out of the bag
like a cat on a hot tin roof
(British English also like a cat on hot bricks)
very nervous 局促不安；如坐针毡；像热锅上的蚂蚁 She was like a cat on a hot tin roof before her driving test. 她在驾驶考试前就像热锅上的蚂蚁。
like a cat that’s got the cream (British English)
(US English like the cat that got/ate/swallowed the canary)
very pleased with yourself 扬扬得意；踌躇满志 She looked like a cat that’s got the cream. She was almost purring with pleasure. 她看起来像一只沾了奶油的猫。她高兴得几乎发出咕噜声。
like herding cats (informal)
used to describe a very difficult task, especially one that involves organizing people 如牧猫般困难（形容非常难的任务，尤涉及对人的组织管理） Managing a political party is a lot like herding cats. 管理一个政党很像放牧一群猫，极为困难。
look like something the cat brought/dragged in
- (informal)
(of a person 人 to look dirty and untidy 穿着邋遢；衣衫褴褛；不修边幅
no room to swing a cat
- (informal)
when somebody says there’s no room to swing a cat, they mean that a room is very small and that there is not enough space 没有活动的余地；连转身都很难
not have/stand a cat in hell’s chance (of doing something)
- (informal)
to have no chance at all 毫无机会
play (a game of) cat and mouse with somebody | play a cat-and-mouse game with somebody
to play a cruel game with somebody in your power by changing your behaviour very often, so that they become nervous and do not know what to expect 和某人玩起猫捉老鼠的游戏；耍弄 He thought the police were playing some elaborate game of cat and mouse and waiting to trap him. 他以为警察在玩精心设计的猫捉老鼠的游戏，等着诱捕他。 Young car thieves enjoy playing cat and mouse with the police. 年轻的盗车贼喜欢与警察玩猫捉老鼠的把戏。
put/set the cat among the pigeons
- (British English)
to say or do something that is likely to cause trouble 引起麻烦；招惹是非 Then she told them she was dropping out of college. That really set the cat among the pigeons. 然后她告诉他们她要从大学退学了。那真是把猫放在鸽子中间了。
there’s more than one way to skin a cat
- (saying, humorous)
there are many different ways to achieve something （要做成某事）方法不只一个，有的是办法
when the cat’s away, the mice will play
- (saying)
people enjoy themselves more and behave with greater freedom when the person in charge of them is not there 猫儿不在，老鼠玩得自在（指管事的不在，下面的玩个痛快）