cat-o'-nine

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 (plural cat-o'-nines)

plural cat-o'-nines · alternative cat-o-nine

  1. abbreviationellipsisrareEllipsis of cat-o'-nine-tails.

    He'd endured being tortured with a cat-o'-nine; he couldn't bear the disappointment and need in her blue-green eyes.

    2010, Joey W. Hill, Vampire Mistress, →ISBN
Cite this entry
APA

cat-o'-nine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cat-o'-nine

MLA

“cat-o'-nine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cat-o'-nine. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cat-o'-nine,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cat-o'-nine.

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