Abyssinian

A short-haired domestic cat descended from cats of ancient Egypt making it one of the oldest breeds in the world; Abyssinian cat.


taghairm

en-noun

taghairm (usually uncountable, plural taghairms)

Borrowed from Scottish Gaelic taghairm, from Old Irish togairm, from Proto-Celtic *to-garrman, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵh₂r̥-smn̥, from *ǵeh₂r- (“to call, to shout”); compare Irish toghairm (“an invocation, a summons”), from gairm, gair (“to call; to invoke”), ultimately from the same Proto-Indo-European roots.
The Encyclopædia Britannica (3rd ed., 1797) suggests a derivation from Scottish Gaelic ta (“a ghost, a spirit”) + gairm (“to call, to cry”), while the editor of an 1871 edition of Sir Walter Scott’s The Lady of the Lake suggested tarbh (“a bull”) or targair (“to foretell”). These etymologies are no longer to be taken seriously.

cog

There were different kinds of taghairm, of which one was very lately practiſed in Sky. The diviner covered himſelf with a cow's hide, and repaired at night to ſome deep-ſounding cave, whither the perſon who conſulted him followed ſoon after without any attendants. At the mouth of the cave he propoſed aloud the queſtions of which he wanted ſolutions; and the man within pronounced the reſponſes in a tone of voice ſimilar to that which the obs, or pretended dæmons of antiquity, gave from beneath the ground their oracular anſwers. That in the latter days of taghairm the Gaelic diviners pretended to evocate ghoſts, and from them to extort ſolutions of difficulties propoſed, we have no poſitive evidence; […]

1797, “NECROMANCY”, in Encyclopædia Britannica; or, A Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, and Miscellaneous Literature; [...] In Eighteen Volumes, 3rd greatly enlarged edition, volume XII, Edinburgh: Printed for A[ndrew] Bell and C[olin] Macfarquhar, →OCLC, page 787, column 2:

[page 146] [L]ast evening-tide / Brian an augury hath tried, / Of that dread kind which must not be / Unless in dread extremity, / The Taghairm called; by which, afar, / Our sires foresaw the events of war. / Duncraggan's milk-white bull they slew, […] [page lxv] Notes to Canto Fourth. Note I. […] The Highlanders, like all rude people, had various superstitious modes of enquiring into futurity. One of the most noted was the Taghairm, mentioned in the text. A person was wrapped in the skin of a newly slain bullock, and deposited beside a water-fall, or at the bottom of a precipice, or in some other strange, wild, and unusual situation, where the scenery around him suggested nothing but objects of horror. In this situation he revolved in his mind the question proposed, and whatever was impressed upon him by his exalted imagination, passed for the inspiration of the disembodied spirits, who haunt these desolate recesses.

1810, Walter Scott, “Canto IV. The Prophecy.”, in The Lady of the Lake; […], Edinburgh: […] [James Ballantyne and Co.] for John Ballantyne and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, and William Miller, →OCLC, stanza IV, pages 146 and lxv:

A country where such traditions could pass current, and in which more unfortunate creatures, perhaps, passed to death through the torturing fire for the imaginary crime of witchcraft under laws framed and administered in the spirit of Moloch himself, then suffered on the same accursed account in any region of similar extent, was a soil well calculated to cherish the Taghairm and Second Sight. […] Those who slept on the skin of the sacrificial lamb at the temple of Amphiaraus, expectant of visions, were, in truth, trying the augury of the Taghairm; […]

1844 December, Gideon Shaddoe, “Recollections and Reflections of Gideon Shaddoe, Esq. No. VI.”, in [Thomas Hood], editor, Hood's Magazine and Comic Miscellany, volume II, number XII, London: Published for the proprietors, by H. Renshaw, 356. Strand; and sold by all booksellers, →OCLC, page 603:

In the taghairm the seer was bound in an animal's hide and left by the waters, the spirits of which inspired his dreams[…]. The hide was probably that of a sacrificial animal.

1911, J[ohn] A[rnott] MacCulloch, “CELTS”, in James Hastings, editor, Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics, volumes III (Burial–Confessions), New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner's Sons; London: T. & T. Clark, →OCLC, page 300, column 2:

(historical, Scotland) An ancient divination method of the Highland Scots involving animal sacrifice.

A method of divination involving wrapping a person in the hide of a freshly-killed ox which was then placed beside a waterfall or other desolate place, to enable the person to foresee the outcome of an impending battle; the oracle of the hide.


Asian

From Latin āsiānus. The popular American definition referring to East and Southeast Asians collectively seems to be a shortened form of "Asian American", a term whose origins activists and academics trace back to 1968 and University of California, Berkeley (UCLA) students Yuji Ichioka and Emma Gee, who, inspired by the Black Power Movement and the protests against the Vietnam War, founded the "Asian American Political Alliance" as a way to unite Japanese, Chinese, and Filipino American students on campus. It replaced the term "Mongoloid", but still continued the racial grouping of "Mongoloid". South Asians are also sometimes called "Asian" in the English settler colonies (US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) but rarely (if ever) Near Easterners and Central Asians. The British term exclusively referring to South Asians was due to South Asians forming a majority of immigrants from the continent of Asia in the United Kingdom.

Asiër

person from or descended from people from the Indian sub-continent

One of a supernational region within Asia

One of a transcontinental nation partially within Asia

One of a partially-recognized or unrecognized country or nation within Asia

One of a former country or nation within Asia

A person from the continent of Asia, or a descendant thereof - especially:

(US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand) A person from or with ancestry in East or Southeast Asia, occasionally South Asia.

東亞裔 /东亚裔

person from or descended from people from east Asia


Thai

en-adj

Thai (comparative more Thai, superlative most Thai)

more Thai (comparative)
most Thai (superlative)

Borrowed from Thai ไทย (tai). Doublet of Tai and Dai.


Thai

en-noun

Thai (countable and uncountable, plural Thai or Thais)

The Bangkok government indicated real concern over the developments in Communist China’s Yunnan province. Thai officials were afraid that Sibsongpanna would be a center where pro-Communist Thai in Southeast Asia would go and where subversive agitation could be directed against outside legitimate governments.

1958, Russell H. Fifield, The Diplomacy of Southeast Asia: 1945-1958, New York: Harper & Brothers, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 263:

(countable) A person living in or coming from Thailand.

Alternative form: Thaï

(uncountable) The main language spoken in Thailand (closely related to Lao).

(uncountable) Thai cuisine; traditional Thai food.


Bombay

From Portuguese Bombaim, possibly from Marathi मुंबादेवी (mumbādevī, “goddess Mumba”) or from bom + baim. Most likely a combination of both.

der

Bombay
Bombay cat
en:Bombay (disambiguation)

A neighbourhood (Little Bombay) of Marion, Jersey City, New Jersey, United States.


Persian

en-noun

Persian (countable and uncountable, plural Persians)

/ˈpɜː(ɹ)ʃən/

From Middle English percynne, from Middle French persien, from Italian persiano, from Medieval Latin Persiānus, from Latin Persia, from Ancient Greek Περσίς (Persís), from Old Persian 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿 (p-a-r-s /Pārsa/, “Persia”) (compare Early Classical Persian پارس (pārs) or modern Iranian Persian فارس (fârs), where the shift p > f. Equivalent to Persia + -ian.


Burmese

Of or relating to Burma (Myanmar) or its people or language.


Burmese

(zoology) A medium-sized, short-haired domestic cat breed, originating in Thailand.


tom

From generic use of the proper name Tom.

The male of the domesticated cat, especially if not neutered.


tomcat

From Tom + cat, popularised by The Life and Adventures of a Cat (1760), by an anonymous author, in which the male cat was called Tom.

(Southeast Asia) An insect of the order Coleoptera referring to certain species of rove beetles, particularly in the genus Paederus. Known for secreting a potent irritant, pederin, which can cause severe skin irritation and blistering when contacted.


Manx

en-adj

Manx (comparative more Manx, superlative most Manx)

more Manx (comparative)
most Manx (superlative)

Altered from Maniske, from assumed Old Norse *manskr, an adjectival form of Mǫn (“Isle of Man”), from Old Irish Mana; compare with Norwegian Bokmål mansk.
Also influenced by Manx Manninagh, an adjectival form of Mannin (“Isle of Man”), Isle of Man; cf Scottish Gaelic Manainneach and Irish Manannach.

Relating to the Manx language (also known as Manx Gaelic), a Gaelic language of the Goidelic family.


Balinese

A car is taking us to a traditional Balinese dance at a nearby temple. It is on a cliff top with scenic views of the Indian Ocean and sheathed in what the internet calls a “peaceful ambience.”

2022 November 26, Virginia Feito, “Sweating Through a Honeymoon in Paradise”, in The New York Times:

Of or relating to Bali, its inhabitants, or their language or culture.

balinès

of or relating to Bali, or its inhabitants, language or culture


Balinese

A long-haired breed of domestic cat with Siamese-style point coloration and sapphire-blue eyes.


Himalayan

A domestic cat breed similar to (and, in some places, considered a variety of) the Persian breed, but with the colourpoint coat pattern of the Siamese.


Savannah

The cities are named after the Savannah River, possibly derived from Shawnee or Algonquian.

Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County#English

The name of a river and several cities in the United States:

A ghost town in Los Angeles County, California.

A city, the county seat of Andrew County, Missouri.

census-designated place
census-designated place

A census-designated place in Denton County, Texas.


Bengal

Borrowed from Portuguese Bengala, from Classical Persian بَنْگَالَه (bangāla), from Middle Bengali বাঙ্গালা (baṅgala), said to be from the Vanga Kingdom, of uncertain ultimate origin. Vangalam has been attested in medieval South India. Doublet of Bangla.

A short-haired domestic cat of a particular breed that originated in the United States.


Ragamuffin

A domestic cat of a particular heavy, muscular, short-necked breed.


tortoiseshell cat

en-noun

tortoiseshell cat (plural tortoiseshell cats)

a domestic cat whose fur has black, brown and yellow markings


domestic cat

Felis silvestris catus
Felis silvestris catus#Translingual

(zoology) A domesticated cat, of the species Felis catus or subspecies Felis silvestris catus, especially one kept as a pet or for vermin control.


Tonkinese

The language of Tonkin; northern Vietnamese.


munchkin

en:Munchkin (disambiguation)
munchkin
munchkin (cat)

Coined by American author L. Frank Baum in 1900 in his novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Perhaps reflective of German Mensch or munch + -kin. Compare Low German Menschken and Low German Minschken

coinage

Alternative form of Munchkin (“domestic cat breed”)

(informal) A pet name one uses for something adorable like a pet, child, or a romantic partner


Siberian

[saɪˈbɪəɹɪən]


Maine Coon

Japanese: メインクーン

Russian: мѐйн-ку́н (mèjn-kún)

desc

Thai: เมนคูน

Thai: เมนคูน

The attribute “Maine” is after the region where the breed originally became popular. For the second part, there are several theories. The dominant one is that it refers to a resemblance of the breed to the raccoon, leading some to propose the theoretical impossibility of the cat being a crossbreed with the raccoon. Another theory is that the name derives from a legendary Captain Tom Coon, who is said to have brought over such exotic cats.

A large, fluffy semi-longhair domestic cat of a breed that originated in Maine.


calico cat

(US) A tortoiseshell and white domestic cat.


grimalkin

/ɡɹɪˈmɔːl.kɪn/

From grey + malkin; literally "grey-haired cat" or "grey-haired woman".

(archaic) A bad-tempered old woman; a crone.


Cymric

From Welsh Cymru (“Wales”) + -ic (adjective-forming suffix). Doublet of Cumbric and cognate with English Cambrian and Cymry.

Manx cat

the original, short-haired version of the breed

A breed of domestic cat, developed in Canada, principally characterized by suppression of the tail and by a semi-long-haired coat, with a medium-sized, rounded, cobby body; it is the longhair version of the Manx cat.


black cat

Pekania pennanti
Pekania pennanti#Translingual

Martes pennanti
Martes pennanti#Translingual

A fisher, North American marten that has thick brown fur (Pekania pennanti, syn. Martes pennanti).


Siamese cat

A short-haired breed of domestic cat having blue eyes and pointed coat pattern, that is, a pale body and dark extremities.


American Bobtail

en-noun

American Bobtail (plural American Bobtails)

A short-haired domestic cat breed originating in the United States, having a short tail as a result of genetic mutation.


American Curl

A short-hair or semi-longhair domestic cat breed originating in the United States. This breed displays distinctive backward curling ears.


American Keuda

Initialism, from a 1980s study in the US southwest entitled Kitten Evaluation Under Direct Assessment, which sought to establish the characteristics of the ideal barn cat.

The only other breed said to have this flap is the American Keuda.

And if you aren't bored already here are some more: American Keuda, American Ringtail,[…].

2008, Vicky Halls, The Complete Cat, page 122:

This is not the first breed to be developed from street cats; as the American Shorthair, European Shorthair, and American Keuda all show.

2012, Nancy Robbins, Domestic Cats: Their History, Breeds and Other Facts, page 127:

(zoology) A domestic cat of a provisional breed originating in the United States.


American Shorthair

American Shorthair (plural American Shorthairs)

A large, short-haired domestic cat breed originating in the United States.


American Wirehair

American Wirehair (plural American Wirehairs)

A large domestic cat of a breed with hard, wiry fur and crinkly whiskers, originating in the United States.


Asian Semi-longhair

Asian Semi-longhair (plural Asian Semi-longhairs)

A rare domestic cat breed originating in Britain.


Australian Mist

Australian Mist (plural Australian Mists)

A medium-sized, short-haired domestic cat of a breed originating in Australia.


Birman

A medium-sized semi-longhair domestic cat of a breed originating in Burma.


British Shorthair

British Shorthair (plural British Shorthairs)

A medium-sized shorthaired domestic cat of a breed originating in Great Britain.


Burmilla

Blend of Burmese + chinchilla; see Chinchilla Persian.

A medium-sized shorthair domestic cat breed, originating in Great Britain.


California Spangled Cat

California Spangled Cat (plural California Spangled Cats)

(felinology) A domestic cat of an extinct medium-sized, short-haired breed, originating in the United States during the 1980s, which was bred to resemble a leopard.


Chartreux

Borrowed from French Chartreux. Compare chartreuse.

A member of a breed of large, blue, short-haired domestic cats, originating in France.


Chausie

(felinology) A large, shorthair, domestic cat hybrid, crossbred from a female Abyssinian and a male Felis chaus.


Cornish Rex

A domestic cat of a medium-sized breed with short wavy hair, originating in Great Britain.


Devon Rex

A domestic cat of a particular medium-sized breed with rippled or swirling hair, originated in Britain in the 1960s.


Egyptian Mau

A domestic cat of a short-haired breed originating in Egypt, with a well-muscled medium-length body.


European Shorthair

European Shorthair (plural European Shorthairs)

A sturdy short-hair domestic cat breed, developed from various ordinary cat breeds.


Exotic Shorthair

Exotic Shorthair (plural Exotic Shorthairs)

A domestic cat breed similar to the Persian cat but with a short dense coat.


German Rex

A domestic cat of a medium-sized breed with slender legs and a short silky coat.


Havana Brown

A chocolate-colored domestic cat breed, similar to the Siamese breed.


Japanese Bobtail

Japanese Bobtail (plural Japanese Bobtails)

A domestic cat of a particular breed with a short bobbed tail like that of a rabbit.


Korat

A blue-grey short-haired breed of domestic cat with heart-shaped head and large green eyes.


LaPerm

A domestic cat of a particular breed with curly fur.


Nebelung

A domestic cat of a particular breed with long bodies, wide-set green eyes, and long dense silky blue-gray fur.


Ocicat

A domestic cat of a breed that is spotted like a wild cat, established from Siamese and Abyssinian stock.


Ojos Azules

A domestic cat breed, originating in the southwest United States, that has deep blue eyes.


Oriental Longhair

Oriental Longhair (plural Oriental Longhairs)


Oriental Shorthair

Oriental Shorthair (plural Oriental Shorthairs)

A domestic cat of a breed related to the Siamese.


Peterbald

From St Petersburg, where the breed was created, and bald.

A domestic cat of a typically hairless Russian breed with a slim muscular build.


Pixie-bob

A domestic cat of a breed developed to resemble the North American bobcat.


Russian Blue

(zoology) A domestic cat of a breed with dense silver to grey fur.


Scottish Fold

A domestic cat of a breed with ears folded down towards the front of the head.


Selkirk Rex

A domestic cat of a breed with highly curled hair.


Singapura

A domestic cat of a small breed with large eyes and ears, brown ticked coat and blunt tail.


Skookum

(US, historical) A kind of Native American-themed souvenir doll once common in tourist areas.


Snowshoe

A domestic cat of a particular breed with a light body and darker ears, face, legs, and tail.


Sokoke

A domestic cat of a particular breed with a blotched tabby coat.


Sphynx

Sphynx cats are often called hairless cats. But Sphynx do have hair. Very short, fine hairs called down cover the Sphynx’s body.

2001, Joanne Mattern, The Sphynx Cat, Capstone, →ISBN, page 7:

A domestic cat of a breed with little or no hair, a narrow long head, and webbed feet.


Toyger

A domestic cat of a breed with a tiger-like striped coat.


Turkish Angora

A domestic cat of an ancient breed with a long, silky coat.


Turkish Van

A domestic cat of a rare semi-long-haired breed developed in the United Kingdom from cats obtained from various cities of modern Turkey. They have a coloured head and tail and a white body.


York Chocolate Cat

York Chocolate Cat (plural York Chocolate Cats)

An American breed of longhaired domestic cat.


ragdoll

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-ragdoll.wav

Alternative form: Ragdoll

A modern American breed of domestic cat with a longhair colourpoint coat that relaxes completely when picked up.


shorthair

Any of several breeds of domestic cat with relatively short hair, slender body and large head.


British Semi-Longhair

British Semi-Longhair (plural British Semi-Longhairs)

A semi-longhair domestic cat breed with a cobby conformation, originating in Great Britain.


Bombay cat

A domestic cat of a medium-sized shorthair breed, having a glossy black color and bright copper-golden eyes, developed in Kentucky during the 1950s.


house cat

A domestic cat, Felis catus or Felis silvestris catus, commonly kept as a pet animal.


Dragon Li

A domestic cat of a large shorthair breed originating from China.


British Longhair

British Longhair (plural British Longhairs)

A medium-size, long-haired domestic cat breed, originating in Great Britain.


Norwegian forest cat

Norwegian forest cat (plural Norwegian forest cats)

A domestic cat breed noted for its above average size, long, water-repellent fur and woolly undercoat.


Manx cat

A domestic cat of a breed that is native to the Isle of Man, principally characterized by suppression of the tail, and with a short-haired coat and a medium-sized, rounded, cobby body.


Chantilly

From French Chantilly, from Medieval Latin Chantileium, ultimately from Gallo-Roman personal name in Latin Cantilius.

A census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States.


Brazilian Shorthair

Brazilian Shorthair (plural Brazilian Shorthairs)

A medium size, shorthaired domestic cat breed, originating in Brazil.


American longhair

American longhair (plural American longhairs)


Foreign Longhair

Foreign Longhair (plural Foreign Longhairs)


farm cat

(zoology) A domestic cat, usually of a mixed breed, that lives primarily outdoors, in a feral or semiferal state on agricultural properties and is expected to provide pest control by hunting rodents.


Colourpoint Persian

Colourpoint Persian (plural Colourpoint Persians)


Himalayan Persian

Himalayan Persian (plural Himalayan Persians)


Himmy

(slang) A Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle.


meezer

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-meezer.wav

(Sia)mese + -er. This nickname was from the cats' vocal attitude and loud, low-pitched meows.

(endearing, slang, humorous) A Siamese cat.