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let the cat out of the bag

let the cat out of the bag
L l

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [let stressed th ee kat out uhv, ov stressed th ee bag]
    • /lɛt stressed ði kæt aʊt ʌv, ɒv stressed ði bæg/
    • /let ðə kæt ˈaʊt əv ðə bæɡ/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [let stressed th ee kat out uhv, ov stressed th ee bag]
    • /lɛt stressed ði kæt aʊt ʌv, ɒv stressed ði bæg/

Definitions of let the cat out of the bag words

  • noun let the cat out of the bag a small domesticated carnivore, Felis domestica or F. catus, bred in a number of varieties. 1
  • noun let the cat out of the bag any of several carnivores of the family Felidae, as the lion, tiger, leopard or jaguar, etc. 1
  • noun let the cat out of the bag Slang. a person, especially a man. a devotee of jazz. 1
  • noun let the cat out of the bag a woman given to spiteful or malicious gossip. 1
  • noun let the cat out of the bag the fur of the domestic cat. 1
  • noun let the cat out of the bag a cat-o'-nine-tails. 1
See all 23 definitions of let the cat out of the bag

Information block about the term

Origin of let the cat out of the bag

First appearance:

before 900
One of the 4% oldest English words
before 900; Middle English cat, catte, Old English catt (masculine), catte (feminine); cognate with Old Frisian, Middle Dutch katte, Old High German kazza, Old Norse kǫttr, Irish cat, Welsh cath (Slavic *kotŭ, Lithuanian katė̃ perhaps < Gmc), Late Latin cattus, catta (first attested in the 4th century, presumably with the introduction of domestic cats); ultimately origin obscure

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Let the cat out of the bag

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Full grammatical hierarchy of Let the cat out of the bag

let the cat out of the bag popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 98% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

Synonyms for let the cat out of the bag

verb let the cat out of the bag

  • blow — When a wind or breeze blows, the air moves.
  • disclose — to make known; reveal or uncover: to disclose a secret.
  • divulge — to disclose or reveal (something private, secret, or previously unknown).
  • inform — to give or impart knowledge of a fact or circumstance to: He informed them of his arrival.
  • tattle — to let out secrets.
All 16 Synonyms of let the cat out of the bag

Antonyms for let the cat out of the bag

verb let the cat out of the bag

  • conceal — If you conceal something, you cover it or hide it carefully.
  • hide — Informal. to administer a beating to; thrash.
  • secrete — a steel skullcap of the 17th century, worn under a soft hat.
  • clean up — If you clean up a mess or clean up a place where there is a mess, you make things tidy and free of dirt again.
  • pick up — to choose or select from among a group: to pick a contestant from the audience.
All 5 Antonyms of let the cat out of the bag

See also

Matching words

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