Cat, kat, n. an old name for a coal and timber vessel on the north-east coast of England.—adj. Cat′-rigged, having one great fore-and-aft mainsail spread by a gaff at the head and a boom at the foot, for smooth water only.
Catabolism. See Katabolism.
Catacaustic, kat-a-kaws′tik, adj. (geom.) belonging to caustic curves formed by reflection (see Caustic). [Gr. kata, against, and Caustic.]
Catachresis, kat-a-krē′sis, n. (rhet.) a figure by which a word is used in a sense different from, yet analogous to, its own: a harsh or far-fetched metaphor.—adjs. Catachres′tic, -al.—adv. Catachres′tically. [L.,—Gr. katachrēsis, misuse.]
Cataclysm, kat′a-klizm, n. a flood of water: a deluge: great revolution.—adj. Cataclys′mic. [Gr. kataklysmos—kata, downward, klyzein, to wash.]
Catacomb, kat′a-kōm, n. a subterranean excavation used as a burial-place, esp. the famous Catacombs near Rome, where many of the early Christian victims of persecution were buried: any place built with crypt-like recesses for storing books, wine, &c.—adj. Cat′acumbal. [It. catacomba—Late L. catacumbas (prob. from ad catacumbas), prob. from Gr. kata, downward, and kymbē, a hollow.]
Catacoustics, kat-a-kows′tiks, n. the part of acoustics which treats of echoes or sounds reflected. [Gr. kata, against, and Acoustics.]
Catadioptric, -al, kat-a-di-op′trik, -al, adj. pertaining to instruments by which rays of light are both reflected and refracted. [See Catoptric.]
Catadromous, kat-ad′rom-us, adj. of fishes, descending periodically for spawning to the lower parts of a river or to the sea. [Gr. kata, down, dromos, running.]
Catafalque, kat-a-falk′, n. a temporary structure of carpentry representing a tomb or cenotaph placed over the coffin during a lying-in-state: a tomb of state, a funeral car.—Also Catafal′co. [Fr.,—It. catafalco. See Balcony and Scaffold.]