Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun A tough thin cord made from the treated and stretched intestines of certain animals, especially sheep, and used for stringing musical instruments and tennis rackets and for surgical ligatures.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun catgut impregnated with chromic acid, in consequence of which it is less quickly absorbed when used for sutures or ligatures in surgical operations.
  • noun The intestines of sheep (sometimes of the horse, the ass, or the mule), dried and twisted, used for strings of musical instruments and for other purposes; a string of this kind.
  • noun A sort of linen or canvas with wide interstices.
  • noun A name for one of the olive seaweeds, Chorda filum, which is allied to Laminaria. The plant Tephrosia Virginiana: so called on account of its long, slender, and very tough roots.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun A cord of great toughness made from the intestines of animals, esp. of sheep, used for strings of musical instruments, etc.
  • noun A sort of linen or canvas, with wide interstices.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun countable A cord of great toughness made from the intestines of animals, especially of sheep, used for strings of musical instruments, etc.
  • noun uncountable The material from which such cords are made.
  • noun uncountable A sort of linen or canvas, with wide interstices.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a strong cord made from the intestines of sheep and used in surgery
  • noun perennial subshrub of eastern North America having downy leaves yellowish and rose flowers and; source of rotenone

Etymologies

Sorry, no etymologies found.

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Examples

  • It may have been from a play on the word catgut that so many of these ditties represent pussy in relation with the fiddle.

    For Every Music Lover A Series of Practical Essays on Music Aubertine Woodward Moore 1885

  • Although it is called catgut, this is a misnomer as it is sheep or goat intestines and not feline.

    Steve Bell 27.01.11 2011

  • They may be called catgut, but they are actually made from sheep intestines.

    unknown title 2009

  • They may be called catgut, but they are actually made from sheep intestines.

    unknown title 2009

  • The thud of tight "catgut" strings against ball marks the moment: it is 4: 57 p.m.

    'A Terrible Splendor' 2009

  • It maintains several hundreds of poor people, who are kept constantly at work, according to their age and abilities, in making thread, all sorts of lace, a kind of catgut, and in knitting stockings.

    Travels through France and Italy 2004

  • Originally the smaller intestines of beasts, as of the pig, but here used as equalling "catgut".

    The Works of Aphra Behn, Volume II Aphra Behn 1664

  • June 16th, 2010 WASHINGTON - A new research has suggested that synthetic sutures cause less pain than natural "catgut" sutures in women who receive stitches after a vaginal birth.

    Gaea Times (by Simple Thoughts) Breaking News and incisive views 24/7 2010

  • The same "catgut" is used for medical sutures in surgery and strings for tennis rackets.

    unknown title 2009

  • The same "catgut" is used for medical sutures in surgery and strings for tennis rackets.

    unknown title 2009

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