{
    "term": "cat",
    "partOfSpeech": "noun",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a1",
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "a small animal with soft fur that people often keep as a pet. Cats catch and kill birds and mice.",
            "cefr": "a1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "a tin of cat food"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I have a cat called Bo."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a pet/domestic cat"
                },
                {
                    "text": "a stray/feral cat"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Cats mark their territory by spraying."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The cat miaowed pitifully."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The cat slunk away into the darkness."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The cat was in constant pain so they had it put down."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The stray cats are wormed and treated with flea powder."
                },
                {
                    "text": "There was a cat yowling outside my window last night."
                },
                {
                    "text": "They didn't want kittens, so they had their cat spayed."
                },
                {
                    "text": "We have a pet cat called Archie."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Animals"],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["domestic", "family", "house"],
                "verb + cat": ["have", "keep", "own"],
                "cat + verb": ["hiss", "mew", "miaow/​meow"],
                "cat + noun": ["door", "flap", "food"],
                "phrases": [
                    "fight like cat and dog",
                    "fight like cats and dogs",
                    "play (a game of) cat and mouse"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "a wild animal of the cat family",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "the big cats *(= lions, , etc.)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "She went to Africa to photograph big cats."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adjective": ["domestic", "family", "house"],
                "verb + cat": ["have", "keep", "own"],
                "cat + verb": ["hiss", "mew", "miaow/​meow"],
                "cat + noun": ["door", "flap", "food"],
                "phrases": [
                    "fight like cat and dog",
                    "fight like cats and dogs",
                    "play (a game of) cat and mouse"
                ]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to be the best thing, person, idea, etc.",
            "labels": "(old-fashioned, informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He thinks he's the cat's whiskers *(= he has a high opinion of himself)*."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to be raining heavily",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "said to somebody, especially a child, who stays silent when expected to speak, for example after being asked a question",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to tell somebody not to ask questions or try to find out about things that do not involve them",
            "labels": "(saying)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to be always arguing with each other",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "In our childhood Irina and I fought like cat and dog."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to tell a secret carelessly or by mistake",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "I wanted it to be a surprise, but my sister let the cat out of the bag."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "very nervous",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She was like a cat on a hot tin roof before her driving test."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "very pleased with yourself",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "She looked like a cat that’s got the cream. She was almost purring with pleasure."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to describe a very difficult task, especially one that involves organizing people",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Managing a political party is a lot like herding cats."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to look dirty and untidy",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "when somebody says there’s no room to swing a cat, they mean that a room is very small and that there is not enough space",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to have no chance at all",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to play a cruel game with somebody in your power by changing your behaviour very often, so that they become nervous and do not know what to expect",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He thought the police were playing some elaborate game of cat and mouse and waiting to trap him."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Young car thieves enjoy playing cat and mouse with the police."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to say or do something that is likely to cause trouble",
            "labels": "(British English)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Then she told them she was dropping out of college. That really set the cat among the pigeons."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "there are many different ways to achieve something",
            "labels": "(saying, humorous)",
            "examples": [],
            "topics": ["Success"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "people enjoy themselves more and behave with greater freedom when the person in charge of them is not there",
            "labels": "(saying)",
            "examples": []
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kæt/",
                "audio": "ca/cat/cat__gb_2.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/kæt/",
                "audio": "ca/cat/cat__us_1.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Old English catt, catte, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kat and German Katze; reinforced in Middle English by forms from late Latin cattus."
}