# cat-o'-nine-tails

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A scourge (multi-tail whip) having nine, often knotted, whipcords, formerly used for flogging as naval punishment.
2. A similarly constructed leather nine-tail whip, as used in British penal colonies and certain armies.

## Etymology
From cat + o' + nine + tails, cat referring to the inflicted wounds resembling the scratches of a cat. First attested in 1695.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cat-o-nine-tails