catloaf

English

WOTD – 4 October 2012

A catloaf.

Etymology

From cat +‎ loaf.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /kæt.loʊf/
• (UK) IPA^(key): /kæt.ləʊf/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

catloaf (plural catloaves)

1. (slang) The loaflike form of a domestic cat in which it sits with its paws and tail tucked underneath its body.
   • 1999 December 3, Ailsa N Murphy, “Re: RIP, Silver-The-Cat”, in rec.arts.sf.fandom‎^[1] (Usenet), archived from the original on 12 July 2024:

     And Gary never got to see him do the full catloaf, where he curled up face-down so that all that stuck out were the tips of his ears. I never got a picture of that, either.

   • 2004 January 9, Franz Bestuchev, “Re: catloaf”, in alt.support.depression‎^[2] (Usenet), archived from the original on 12 July 2024:

     One must often attend to the tail and ensure it remains tucked and not become flippant, so as to maintain a catloaf of presentable form.

   • 2009, Brigitte Eilert-Overbeck, Cats, →ISBN, page 47:

     "Catloaf" position with paws and tail tucked under the body: "Please do not disturb!"

   • 2015 July 15, Lou Lou P., quotee, “Behold the Catloaf, Your Adorable Edible Friend”, in ABC News‎^[3], archived from the original on 18 March 2023:

     I love the ‘catloaf’ expression, so one evening I just had to see if I could bake it for real. Thus catloaf [a loaf shaped like a catloaf] was born, simple as that.

Derived terms

• catloafed

Translations

loaflike form a cat takes on

• German: Katzenlaib
• Japanese: 香箱座り (kōbako-zuwari)

Further reading

• Category:Catloaf on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons