n., pl., cat's-paws, also cats·paws.
- A person used by another as a dupe or tool.
- A light breeze that ruffles small areas of a water surface.
- Nautical. A knot made by twisting a section of rope to form two adjacent eyes through which a hook is passed, used in hoisting.
[From a fable about a monkey that used a cat's paw to pull chestnuts out of a fire.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
