Katze

German

Alternative forms

• Katz (chiefly in idioms)
• Katz'

Etymology

From Middle High German katze, Old High German kazza, earlier *katta from Proto-Germanic *kattuz, from Late Latin catta, feminine of cattus. Akin to Old English catt (“cat”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkʰɑtsə/, /ˈkʰatsə/
• IPA^(key): /ˈkɑtːsə/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -atsə
• Hyphenation: Kat‧ze

Noun

Katze f (genitive Katze, plural Katzen, diminutive Kätzchen n or Kätzlein n, female Kätzin, male Kater)

1. house cat, Felis silvestris catus

   Synonym: Hauskatze

2. (specifically) a female house cat

   Synonym: (uncommon) Kätzin

3. cat (any member of the genus Felis)
4. (astronomy, historical) the obsolete constellation Felis

Usage notes

Katze is the common term to refer to a cat (both male and female ones). The derived form Kätzin is mostly restricted to poetic language and technical language.

Antonyms

(female cat):

• Kater (“a male cat”)

Hyponyms

(any cat):

• Großkatze (“member of Pantherinae”)
• Kleinkatze
• Kater (“a male cat”)
• Kätzin (“a female cat”)

Hypernyms

(cat):

• Säugetier

Derived terms

• die Katze aus dem Sack lassen
• Katz-und-Maus-Spiel
• Katzenjammer
• Katzenjunges
• Katzenwelpe
• Katzenzunge
• Naschkatze
• Perserkatze
• Stinkkatze

 

Further reading

• “Katze” in Duden online

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Pennsylvania German

Noun

Katze

1. plural of Katz