Forms: 7 cat’s-guts, 8 cat’s-gut, 8– catgut. [So in Du. kattedarm. So far as the name can be traced back, it distinctly means guts or intestines of the cat, though it is not known that these were ever used for the purpose. Cf. also CATLING.
(Some have conjectured a humorous reference to the resemblance of the sound to caterwauling.)]
1. The dried and twisted intestines of sheep, also of the horse and ass; used for the strings of musical instruments; also as bands in lathes, clocks, etc.
1599. Warn. Faire Wom., I. 9. What, yet more cats guts? oh, this filthy sound Stifles mine ears … I’ll cut your fiddle strings If you stand scraping thus to anger me!
[1607. Marston, What you will, III. i. in N. & Q. (1886), 10 April. The musitions Hover with nimble sticks ore squeaking crowds [fiddles] Tickling the dryed gutts of a mewing cat.]
1680. Cotton, in Singer, Hist. Cards (1816), 334. The silver buttons are strung, or run upon cat’s guts.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 357/1. Made of the Guts of Beasts as sheep, &c. though the generall name of it is Cats-Guts.
1780. Cowper, Progr. Err., 126. With wire and catgut he concludes the day, Quavering and semiquavering care away.
1807–8. W. Irving, Salmag. (1824), 27. Sympathise at every twang of the cat-gut, as if he heard at that moment the wailings of the helpless animal that had been sacrificed to harmony.
1878. Huxley, Physiogr., 71. The effect of moisture upon pieces of catgut.
2. A violin; stringed instruments collectively.
1709. Brit. Apollo, II. No. 19. 2/2. Great Patron of Cat-guts.
1740. Somerville, Hobbinol, I. 142. Hark, from aloft his tortur’d Cat-gut squeals.
1867. Cornh. Mag., Jan., 30. Drowned in a roar of brass and catgut.
3. ‘A coarse cloth formed of thick cord, woven widely and used in the last century for lining and stiffening dress, particularly the skirts and sleeves of a coat’ (Fairholt).
1731. Mrs. Delany, Autobiog. (1861), I. 282. I have not sent you any catgut for working handkerchiefs.
1823. Galt, Entail, I. i. 7. The vast head-dress of catgut and millinery.
4. Sea catgut: a slender cord-like sea-weed; sea-lace, Chorda filum.
5. attrib. and Comb. as catgut-scraper, a contemptuous designation of a violinist.
1633. Massinger, Guardian, IV. ii. Wire-string and catgut men, and strong breathed heautbois.
1711. Lond. Gaz., No. 4890/4. A Cats-gut string. Ibid. (1723), No. 6222/8. William Burridge, Catgut-spinner.
1806. Wolcott (P. Pindar), Tristia, Wks. 1812, V. 267. Behold! the Cat-gut-scraper with his croud Commands at will the house of hospitality.
1832. W. Stephenson, Gateshead Poems, 23. Two nightly cat gut scrapers.
1833. Manuf. Metal, II. 137 (Cabinet Cycl.). Transferring the catgut band from one groove to the other.
1881. Syd. Soc. Lex., s.v. Catheter, railway, It is introduced over a catgut bougie or guide.
