cat o' nine tails

A form of cat-o'-nine-tails — A scourge (multi-tail whip) having nine, often knotted, whipcords, formerly used for flogging as naval punishment.

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Meanings

nouncat o' nine tails (plural cats o' nine tails)

plural cats o' nine tails

  1. alternativeAlternative form of cat-o'-nine-tails.
Cite this entry
APA

cat o' nine tails. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cat%20o'%20nine%20tails

MLA

“cat o' nine tails.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cat%20o'%20nine%20tails. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cat o' nine tails,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cat%20o'%20nine%20tails.

Source: cat o' nine tails on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.