Cat's paw

Cat's paw

Cat's paw may refer to:

*Cat's paw - the informal name of some species of "Anigozanthus"
*Cat's Paw - A family of small mussels of various sizes and colours living in freshwater rivers and some salt.The shell is shaped like a cats footprint.
*Cat's paw (knot), a type of knot
*Cat's Paw Nebula, NGC 6334, an emission nebula located in the constellation Scorpius
* "The Cat's Paw" (painting), an oil painting by Sir Edwin Landseer, depicting the scene between cat and monkey in the fable "The Monkey and the Cat"
*Spanish Tickler, an instrument of torture also known as a Cat's Paw
* "The Cat's-Paw", a 1934 comedy film starring Harold Lloyd
*A phrase derived from a fable made famous by La Fontaine, in which a monkey convinces an unwitting cat to pull chestnuts from a hot fire. As the cat scoops the chestnuts from the fire one by one burning his paw in the process, the monkey eagerly gobbles them up, leaving none for the cat. Today, the term "cat's paw" refers to "one used by another to accomplish his purposes."
* Cat's paw, a hand tool for pulling nails and light demolition

ee also

*Catspaw


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  • Cat's-paw — n. 1. (Naut.) (a) A light transitory air which ruffles the surface of the water during a calm, or the ripples made by such a puff of air. (b) A particular hitch or turn in the bight of a rope, into which a tackle may be hooked. [1913 Webster] 2 …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • cat's-paw — cat s′ paw or cats′paw n. 1) a person who is exploited by another; tool 2) mer a light breeze that ruffles the surface of the water over a small area 3) naut. a hitch made in the bight of a rope to hold the hook of a tackle • Etymology: 1650–60;… …   From formal English to slang

  • cat's paw — cats|paw [ˈkætspo: US po:] n old fashioned someone who is used by someone else to achieve something bad …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • cat's-paw — [kats′pô΄] n. 1. a person used by another to do dangerous, distasteful, or unlawful work; dupe: from the tale of the monkey who used the cat s foot to rake the chestnuts out of the fire 2. a light breeze that ripples the surface of water 3. Naut …   English World dictionary

  • cat's paw — ► NOUN ▪ a person used by another to carry out an unpleasant task …   English terms dictionary

  • cat's-paw — noun (plural cat s paws) Date: circa 1769 1. a light air that ruffles the surface of the water in irregular patches during a calm 2. [from the fable of the monkey that used a cat s paw to draw chestnuts from the fire] one used by another as a… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • cat's paw — /ˈkæts pɔ / (say kats paw) noun 1. a person used by another to serve their purpose; a tool. 2. Nautical a kind of hitch in the bight of a rope, made to hook a tackle on. 3. Nautical a light breeze which ruffles the surface of the water over a… …  

  • cat's-paw — žemasis ožūnis statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Hemodorinių šeimos dekoratyvinis augalas (Anigozanthos humilis), paplitęs Australijoje. atitikmenys: lot. Anigozanthos humilis angl. cat s paw šaltinis Valstybinės lietuvių kalbos komisijos… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • Cat's paw (knot) — Knot details name=Cat s paw names= type= hitch strength= origin= Ancient related= girth hitch, lark s foot, cow hitch releasing= Non jamming uses= Attaching a rope to a hook or ring caveat= abok number= #1891The Cat s paw is a knot used for… …   Wikipedia

  • Cat's paw (nail puller) — A cat s paw is a standard carpenter s tool, consisting of a round or hexagonal bar that curves at one end to form a pointed, cup shaped tip with a V shaped cleft for gripping nailheads. To use the tool the user holds the tool s shank with one… …   Wikipedia

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