cat's-paw

plural cat's-paws · plural cats'-paws · alternative cat's paw · alternative catspaw

1. A paw of a cat.
2. figurativelySomeone who acts in another's interest, (properly) unknowingly or through trickery.

   Cat's-paw, common in vulgar speech, but not in writing.

   1836, Charles Richardson, A New Dictionary of the English Language, s.v. "Cat"

   4 more examples

   To take the Cat by the foote, and therewith rake the coales out of the Ouen.

   1622, Mateo Alemán, translated by James Mabbe, The Rogue, volume II, page 167

   These he useth as the Monkey did the Cats paw, to scrape the nuts out of the fire.

   1657, Michael Hawke, Killing is Murder and No Murder, page 3

   Eddie Mars was behind Geiger, protecting him and using him for a cat's-paw.

   1939, Raymond Chandler, The Big Sleep, page 243

   And for a third thing, Johnson never seemed like he was intent on blowing up NATO because he was a Russian cat’s paw.

   2022, Jonathan V. Last, (Please provide the book title or journal name)

   Synonyms: tool, dupe, dupe

3. nauticalA minor breeze that ripples the surface of a body of water.

   Cats-paw, a light air of wind perceived... by the impression made on the surface of the sea, which it sweeps very lightly, and then decays.

   1769, William Falconer, An Universal Dictionary of the Marine

   3 more examples

   No, not a cat’s paw anywhere: Hold up your finger in the air You could n’t feel a breath; For why, in yonder storm that burst, The wind that blew so hard at first Had blown itself to death.

   1845, Thomas Hood, The Captain’s Cow

   “Now,” said Hands, “look there; there’s a pet bit for to beach a ship in. Fine flat sand, never a cat’s paw, trees all around of it, and flowers a-blowing like a garding on that old ship.”

   1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC

   There was very little wind, though now and again a catspaw hurrying from the south helped them on their way and darkened the smooth small waves.

   1930, Arthur Ransome, Swallows and Amazons

4. nauticalA twisting variant of the lark's-foot hitch which forms two small bights used to hook a pair of tackles to a rope.

   ...when the mate came to shake the catspaw out of the down-haul...

   1840, Richard Henry Dana, chapter XXXIII, in Two Years Before the Mast, page 125

5. figurativelyuncommonSomeone or something that comes down quickly upon a victim in the manner of a cat's paw.

   [T]hese Florentines [...] / In hungry pride and gainful cowardice, / [...] / Quick cat's-paws on the generous stray-away.

   1820, John Keats, “Isabella; or, The Pot of Basil. A Story from Boccaccio.”, in Lamia, Isabella, the Eve of St. Agnes, and Other Poems, London: […] [Thomas Davison] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC, stanza XVII, page 57

6. USbusinessA small crowbar with a handle at a right angle to a blade with a V-shaped notch, principally used by carpenters to remove nails.

   Filed Dec. 13, 1952. Cat's Paw. For Hand Tools for Pulling Nails and Spikes.

   1954 November 10, U.S. Patent Office, Official Gazette, page 321

7. historicaltortureengineeringA metal set of claws worn over the hand or wielded in the hand used to remove skin and flesh.
8. USlawA supervisor whose reliance on a subordinate's analysis is so complete as to render him or her liable for the subordinate's animus or other misconduct towards a third employee.
9. Any of several species of North American freshwater mussels of the genus Epioblasma, especially E. obliquata.

   Synonyms: rubber stamp

10. Any of several species of Australian bloodworts of the genus Anigozanthos, especially A. humilis.

    Synonyms: kangaroo paw