"tomcat" meaning in English

See tomcat in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: tomcats [plural], tom cat [alternative], tom-cat [alternative], Tom cat [alternative]
Etymology: 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. Head templates: {{en-noun}} tomcat (plural tomcats)
  1. A tom (male cat). Categories (topical): Male people Categories (lifeform): Male animals
    Sense id: en-tomcat-en-noun-wEPkmYBL Disambiguation of Male people: 45 17 36 1 Disambiguation of Male animals: 42 9 47 2
  2. (informal) A promiscuous man. Tags: informal Synonyms: promiscuous man
    Sense id: en-tomcat-en-noun-SQ6hrH7E
  3. (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. Categories (lifeform): Domestic cats, Male animals
    Sense id: en-tomcat-en-noun-QxZ5m0Qf Disambiguation of Domestic cats: 10 7 76 8 Disambiguation of Male animals: 42 9 47 2 Categories (other): Southeast Asian English, English entries with incorrect language header, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 6 7 74 13 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 8 7 77 8 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 4 4 84 8

Verb

Forms: tomcats [present, singular, third-person], tomcatting [participle, present], tomcatted [participle, past], tomcatted [past], tom cat [alternative], tom-cat [alternative], Tom cat [alternative]
Etymology: 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. Head templates: {{en-verb|++}} tomcat (third-person singular simple present tomcats, present participle tomcatting, simple past and past participle tomcatted)
  1. (originally US, informal, of a man) To prowl for sexual gratification. Tags: informal Derived forms: tomcat around Related terms: caterwaul
    Sense id: en-tomcat-en-verb--hqk4yaY Categories (other): American English

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "etymology_text": "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.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "tomcats",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tom cat",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tom-cat",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "Tom cat",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "tomcat (plural tomcats)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "42 9 47 2",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Male animals",
          "orig": "en:Male animals",
          "parents": [
            "Animals",
            "Male",
            "Lifeforms",
            "Gender",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Biology",
            "Psychology",
            "Sociology",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature",
            "Sciences",
            "Social sciences",
            "Society"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "45 17 36 1",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Male people",
          "orig": "en:Male people",
          "parents": [
            "Male",
            "People",
            "Gender",
            "Human",
            "Biology",
            "Psychology",
            "Sociology",
            "All topics",
            "Sciences",
            "Social sciences",
            "Fundamental",
            "Society"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A tom (male cat)."
      ],
      "id": "en-tomcat-en-noun-wEPkmYBL",
      "links": [
        [
          "tom",
          "tom"
        ],
        [
          "cat",
          "cat"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "glosses": [
        "A promiscuous man."
      ],
      "id": "en-tomcat-en-noun-SQ6hrH7E",
      "links": [
        [
          "promiscuous",
          "promiscuous"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) A promiscuous man."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "promiscuous man"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Southeast Asian English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 7 74 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 7 77 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 4 84 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 7 76 8",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Domestic cats",
          "orig": "en:Domestic cats",
          "parents": [
            "Cats",
            "Felids",
            "Carnivores",
            "Mammals",
            "Vertebrates",
            "Chordates",
            "Animals",
            "Lifeforms",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "42 9 47 2",
          "kind": "lifeform",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Male animals",
          "orig": "en:Male animals",
          "parents": [
            "Animals",
            "Male",
            "Lifeforms",
            "Gender",
            "All topics",
            "Life",
            "Biology",
            "Psychology",
            "Sociology",
            "Fundamental",
            "Nature",
            "Sciences",
            "Social sciences",
            "Society"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "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."
      ],
      "id": "en-tomcat-en-noun-QxZ5m0Qf",
      "links": [
        [
          "insect",
          "insect"
        ],
        [
          "Coleoptera",
          "Coleoptera#Translingual"
        ],
        [
          "species",
          "species"
        ],
        [
          "rove beetles",
          "rove beetle"
        ],
        [
          "genus",
          "genus"
        ],
        [
          "irritant",
          "irritant"
        ],
        [
          "skin",
          "skin"
        ],
        [
          "irritation",
          "irritation"
        ],
        [
          "blistering",
          "blistering"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "Southeast Asia",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(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."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "tomcat"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "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.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "tomcats",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tomcatting",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tomcatted",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tomcatted",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tom cat",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tom-cat",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "Tom cat",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "++"
      },
      "expansion": "tomcat (third-person singular simple present tomcats, present participle tomcatting, simple past and past participle tomcatted)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "derived": [
        {
          "word": "tomcat around"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1985, Peter Carey, Illywhacker, Faber and Faber, published 2003, page 539:",
          "text": "He would not go roaming the streets tom-catting like Mr Schick.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To prowl for sexual gratification."
      ],
      "id": "en-tomcat-en-verb--hqk4yaY",
      "links": [
        [
          "prowl",
          "prowl"
        ],
        [
          "gratification",
          "gratification"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(originally US, informal, of a man) To prowl for sexual gratification."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a man"
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "caterwaul"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "tomcat"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English eponyms",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English pleonastic compound nouns",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "en:Domestic cats",
    "en:Male animals",
    "en:Male people"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "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.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "tomcats",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tom cat",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tom-cat",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "Tom cat",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "tomcat (plural tomcats)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A tom (male cat)."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "tom",
          "tom"
        ],
        [
          "cat",
          "cat"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English informal terms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A promiscuous man."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "promiscuous",
          "promiscuous"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(informal) A promiscuous man."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "promiscuous man"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "Southeast Asian English"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "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."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "insect",
          "insect"
        ],
        [
          "Coleoptera",
          "Coleoptera#Translingual"
        ],
        [
          "species",
          "species"
        ],
        [
          "rove beetles",
          "rove beetle"
        ],
        [
          "genus",
          "genus"
        ],
        [
          "irritant",
          "irritant"
        ],
        [
          "skin",
          "skin"
        ],
        [
          "irritation",
          "irritation"
        ],
        [
          "blistering",
          "blistering"
        ]
      ],
      "qualifier": "Southeast Asia",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(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."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "tomcat"
}

{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English eponyms",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English pleonastic compound nouns",
    "English verbs",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "en:Domestic cats",
    "en:Male animals",
    "en:Male people"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "tomcat around"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "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.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "tomcats",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tomcatting",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tomcatted",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tomcatted",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tom cat",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "tom-cat",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "Tom cat",
      "tags": [
        "alternative"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "++"
      },
      "expansion": "tomcat (third-person singular simple present tomcats, present participle tomcatting, simple past and past participle tomcatted)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "caterwaul"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English informal terms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1985, Peter Carey, Illywhacker, Faber and Faber, published 2003, page 539:",
          "text": "He would not go roaming the streets tom-catting like Mr Schick.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To prowl for sexual gratification."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "prowl",
          "prowl"
        ],
        [
          "gratification",
          "gratification"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(originally US, informal, of a man) To prowl for sexual gratification."
      ],
      "raw_tags": [
        "of a man"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "informal"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "tomcat"
}

Download raw JSONL data for tomcat meaning in English (3.7kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-02-22 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-02-02 using wiktextract (9e2b7d3 and f2e72e5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.