Advertisement
cat-o'-nine-tails (n.)
"nine pieces of knotted cord fastened to a handle and used to flog the bare back," 1690s, probably so called in reference to its "claws." It was a legal instrument of punishment in British Navy until 1881.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Definitions of cat-o'-nine-tails
Dictionary entries near cat-o'-nine-tails
catkin
cat-lap
catling
cat-nap
catnip
cat-o'-nine-tails
catoblepas
catoptric
catoptromancy
catsuit
catsup