Definition of cat-o'-nine-tails in US English: cat-o'-nine-tails
noun historical A rope whip with nine knotted cords, formerly used (especially at sea) to flog offenders.
Example sentences
‘Jesus is beaten with canes, then with an early version of a cat-o'-nine-tails.’ ‘Selina ignored him, but I thought I could detect a hint of longing in the way she fingered the whip looped at her belt (a cat-o'-nine-tails).’ ‘Volney claimed that prisons officials were asking judges not to impose the cat-o'-nine-tails since they could not find them.’ ‘Flogging with the cat-o'-nine-tails and hanging were the major punishments.’ ‘A moment later, another of the invaders lashed him with a peculiar weapon that looked something like a cat-o'-nine-tails.’ Synonyms
whip , horsewhip, bullwhip, switch, scourge, flagellum, cat, thong, flail, strap, birch, cane
View synonyms Pronunciation cat-o'-nine-tails /ˌkædəˈnaɪnˌteɪlz/ /ˌkadəˈnīnˌtālz/