cat-o'-nine-tails
"cat-o-nine-tails" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“cat-o'-nine-tails” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 17
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A scourge (multi-tail whip) having nine, often knotted, whipcords, formerly used for flogging as naval punishment.
Corpus desk
Index EN-cat-o-nine-tails · cat-o'-nine-tails · English
cat-o'-nine-tails · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 17 letters
- VOW-6 6 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "C" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | cat-o'-nine-tails |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 17 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “cat-o'-nine-tails” in English
Rare enough to double-check
cat-o'-nine-tails is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
cat-o'-nine-tails doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: From cat + o' + nine + tails, cat referring to the inflicted wounds resembling the scratches of a cat. First attested in 1695. The correct English form is cat-o'-nine-tails, spelled C-A-T---O-'---N-I-N-E---T-A-I-L-S.
Definition
- 1A scourge (multi-tail whip) having nine, often knotted, whipcords, formerly used for flogging as naval punishment.
- 2A similarly constructed leather nine-tail whip, as used in British penal colonies and certain armies.
Recorded use
Wiktionary exampleThese source excerpts show how cat-o'-nine-tails appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
But I do tell you one thing, if you ſhould give ſuch Language at Sea, you'd have a Cat o' Nine-tails laid croſs your Shoulders.
Etymology
From cat + o' + nine + tails, cat referring to the inflicted wounds resembling the scratches of a cat. First attested in 1695.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.