Meanings
nouncat's cradle (countable and uncountable, plural cat's cradles)
plural cat's cradles
- uncountableA children's game of forming string into various shapes around one's fingers.
- countableidiomaticAny complicated structure that appears to be without purpose.
There was the a risk that my research might reveal the original, rightful owner of an instrument, which could open up a cat's cradle of restitution claims.
2020, Sophy Roberts, The Lost Pianos of Siberia, page 89
Translations
Bulgarian котешка люлка
- котешка люлка (koteška ljulka)children's game
Esperanto fadenludo
- fadenludochildren's game
French (jeu du) berceau, (jeu de la) scie
- (jeu du) berceauchildren's game
- (jeu de la) sciechildren's game
German Fadenspiel
- Fadenspielchildren's game
Hebrew סבתא סורגת
- סבתא סורגתchildren's game
Irish crúb na gé
- crúb na géchildren's game
Japanese あやとり
- あやとり (ayatori)children's game
Korean 실뜨기
- 실뜨기 (siltteugi)children's game
Māori whai
- whaichildren's game
Polish kocia kołyska
- kocia kołyskachildren's game
Portuguese cama de gato
- cama de gatochildren's game
Cite this entry
APA
cat's cradle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cat's%20cradle
MLA
“cat's cradle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cat's%20cradle. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cat's cradle,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cat's%20cradle.
Source: cat's cradle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.