1 a small animal with soft fur that people often keep as a pet.Cats catch and kill birds and mice
cat food
see also kitten, tomcat
2 a wild animal of the cat family
the big cats (= lions, tigers, etc.)
see also fat cat, wildcat
be the cat's whiskers/pyjamas (informal)
to be the best thing, person, idea, etc
He thinks he's the cat's whiskers (= he has a high opinion of himself).
let the cat out of the bag
to tell a secret carelessly or by mistake
I wanted it to be a surprise, but my sister let the cat out of the bag.
like a cat on hot bricks (British English)
very nervous
She was like a cat on hot bricks before her driving test.
like a cat that's got the cream (British English)
(US like the cat that got/ate/swallowed the canary)
very pleased with yourself
synonym smug
She looked like a cat that's got the cream. She was almost purring with pleasure.