bush cat

Bush \Bush\ (b[.u]sh), n. [OE. bosch, busch, buysch, bosk, busk;
   akin to D. bosch, OHG. busc, G. busch, Icel. b[=u]skr,
   b[=u]ski, Dan. busk, Sw. buske, and also to LL. boscus,
   buscus, Pr. bosc, It. bosco, Sp. & Pg. bosque, F. bois, OF.
   bos. Whether the LL. or G. form is the original is uncertain;
   if the LL., it is perh. from the same source as E. box a
   case. Cf. {Ambush}, {Boscage}, {Bouquet}, {Box} a case.]
   1. A thicket, or place abounding in trees or shrubs; a wild
      forest.
      [1913 Webster]

   Note: This was the original sense of the word, as in the
         Dutch bosch, a wood, and was so used by Chaucer. In
         this sense it is extensively used in the British
         colonies, especially at the Cape of Good Hope, and also
         in Australia and Canada; as, to live or settle in the
         bush.
         [1913 Webster]

   2. A shrub; esp., a shrub with branches rising from or near
      the root; a thick shrub or a cluster of shrubs.
      [1913 Webster]

            To bind a bush of thorns among sweet-smelling
            flowers.                              --Gascoigne.
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   3. A shrub cut off, or a shrublike branch of a tree; as,
      bushes to support pea vines.
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   4. A shrub or branch, properly, a branch of ivy (as sacred to
      Bacchus), hung out at vintners' doors, or as a tavern
      sign; hence, a tavern sign, and symbolically, the tavern
      itself.
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            If it be true that good wine needs no bush, 't is
            true that a good play needs no epilogue. --Shak.
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   5. (Hunting) The tail, or brush, of a fox.
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   {To beat about the bush}, to approach anything in a
      round-about manner, instead of coming directly to it; -- a
      metaphor taken from hunting.

   {Bush bean} (Bot.), a variety of bean which is low and
      requires no support ({Phaseolus vulgaris}, variety nanus).
      See {Bean}, 1.

   {Bush buck}, or {Bush goat} (Zool.), a beautiful South
      African antelope ({Tragelaphus sylvaticus}); -- so called
      because found mainly in wooden localities. The name is
      also applied to other species.

   {Bush cat} (Zool.), the serval. See {Serval}.

   {Bush chat} (Zool.), a bird of the genus {Pratincola}, of the
      Thrush family.

   {Bush dog}. (Zool.) See {Potto}.

   {Bush hammer}. See {Bushhammer} in the Vocabulary.

   {Bush harrow} (Agric.) See under {Harrow}.

   {Bush hog} (Zool.), a South African wild hog
      ({Potamoch[oe]rus Africanus}); -- called also {bush pig},
      and {water hog}.

   {Bush master} (Zool.), a venomous snake ({Lachesis mutus}) of
      Guinea; -- called also {surucucu}.

   {Bush pea} (Bot.), a variety of pea that needs to be bushed.
      

   {Bush shrike} (Zool.), a bird of the genus {Thamnophilus},
      and allied genera; -- called also {batarg}. Many species
      inhabit tropical America.

   {Bush tit} (Zool.), a small bird of the genus {Psaltriparus},
      allied to the titmouse. {Psaltriparus minimus} inhabits
      California.
      [1913 Webster]
    

cat \cat\ (k[a^]t), n. [AS. cat; akin to D. & Dan. kat, Sw.
   katt, Icel. k["o]ttr, G. katze, kater, Ir. cat, W. cath,
   Armor. kaz, LL. catus, Bisc. catua, NGr. ga`ta, ga`tos, Russ.
   & Pol. kot, Turk. kedi, Ar. qitt; of unknown origin. Cf.
   {Kitten}.]
   1. (Zool.) Any animal belonging to the natural family
      {Felidae}, and in particular to the various species of the
      genera {Felis}, {Panthera}, and {Lynx}. The domestic cat
      is {Felis domestica}. The European wild cat ({Felis
      catus}) is much larger than the domestic cat. In the
      United States the name {wild cat} is commonly applied to
      the bay lynx ({Lynx rufus}). The larger felines, such as
      the lion, tiger, leopard, and cougar, are often referred
      to as cats, and sometimes as big cats. See {Wild cat}, and
      {Tiger cat}.
      [1913 Webster +PJC]

   Note: The domestic cat includes many varieties named from
         their place of origin or from some peculiarity; as, the
         {Angora cat}; the {Maltese cat}; the {Manx cat}; the
         {Siamese cat}.
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               Laying aside their often rancorous debate over
               how best to preserve the {Florida panther}, state
               and federal wildlife officials,
               environmentalists, and independent scientists
               endorsed the proposal, and in 1995 the eight cats
               [female Texas cougars] were brought from Texas
               and released. . . .
               Uprooted from the arid hills of West Texas, three
               of the imports have died, but the remaining five
               adapted to swamp life and have each given birth
               to at least one litter of kittens. --Mark Derr
                                                  (N. Y. Times,
                                                  Nov. 2, 1999,
                                                  Science Times
                                                  p. F2).
         [PJC]

   Note: The word cat is also used to designate other animals,
         from some fancied resemblance; as, civet cat, fisher
         cat, catbird, catfish shark, sea cat.
         [1913 Webster]

   2. (Naut.)
      (a) A strong vessel with a narrow stern, projecting
          quarters, and deep waist. It is employed in the coal
          and timber trade.
      (b) A strong tackle used to draw an anchor up to the
          cathead of a ship. --Totten.
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   3. A double tripod (for holding a plate, etc.), having six
      feet, of which three rest on the ground, in whatever
      position it is placed.
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   4. An old game; specifically:
      (a) The game of tipcat and the implement with which it is
          played. See {Tipcat}.
      (b) A game of ball, called, according to the number of
          batters, one old cat, two old cat, etc.
          [1913 Webster]

   5. same as {cat o' nine tails}; as, British sailors feared
      the cat.
      [1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5]

   6. A {catamaran}.
      [PJC]

   {Angora cat}, {blind cat}, See under {Angora}, {Blind}.

   {Black cat} the fisher. See under {Black}.

   {Cat and dog}, like a cat and dog; quarrelsome; inharmonious.
      "I am sure we have lived a cat and dog life of it."
      --Coleridge.

   {Cat block} (Naut.), a heavy iron-strapped block with a large
      hook, part of the tackle used in drawing an anchor up to
      the cathead.

   {Cat hook} (Naut.), a strong hook attached to a cat block.

   {Cat nap}, a very short sleep. [Colloq.]

   {Cat o' nine tails}, an instrument of punishment consisting
      of nine pieces of knotted line or cord fastened to a
      handle; -- formerly used to flog offenders on the bare
      back.

   {Cat's cradle}, game played, esp. by children, with a string
      looped on the fingers so, as to resemble small cradle. The
      string is transferred from the fingers of one to those of
      another, at each transfer with a change of form. See
      {Cratch}, {Cratch cradle}.

   {To bell the cat}, to perform a very dangerous or very
      difficult task; -- taken metaphorically from a fable about
      a mouse who proposes to put a bell on a cat, so as to be
      able to hear the cat coming.

   {To let the cat out of the bag}, to tell a secret, carelessly
      or willfully. [Colloq.]

   {Bush cat}, the serval. See {Serval}.
      [1913 Webster]