catty
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Contents |
English [edit]
Alternative forms [edit]
Etymology 1 [edit]
Pronunciation [edit]
Adjective [edit]
catty (comparative cattier, superlative cattiest)
- (informal, of a person or remark) With subtle hostility in an effort to hurt, annoy, or upset.
- (informal) Resembling or characteristic of a cat.
- a catty smell
Synonyms [edit]
Translations [edit]
spiteful
Etymology 2 [edit]
From Malay kati, from the Chinese 斤 (Mandarin: 'jīn').
Noun [edit]
catty
- A (unit of) weight used in China, generally standardized as half a kilogram.
- 2009, Huaiyin Li, Village China Under Socialism and Reform: A Micro-History, 1948-2008, Stanford University Press, ISBN 978-0-8047-5974-8, page 94:
- To limit team members' consumption, it issued food stamps to the villagers and allowed everyone to eat one catty of rice a day.
- 1699, Captain William Dampier, A new voyage round the world, Volume 1:
- 16 Mess, make a Tale, which here is 20 s. English, 5 Tale make a Bancal, a weight so called, and 20 Bancal make a Catty, another weight.
- 1847, Robert Montgomery Martin, China; Political, Commercial, and Social, Volume 2, James Madden (publisher), page 124:
- Transparent yellow pieces are the best; the price is from eight to fourteen dollars per catty, according to size and quality.
- 2009, Huaiyin Li, Village China Under Socialism and Reform: A Micro-History, 1948-2008, Stanford University Press, ISBN 978-0-8047-5974-8, page 94:
See also [edit]
Cantonese [edit]
Noun [edit]
catty (斤)
- (Hong Kong) a traditional unit of weight, in modern usage legally defined as 0.60478982 kilograms (公斤) in Hong Kong
