1. The skin of the cat (wild or tame), used for fur, etc. Chiefly attrib.
1692. Lond. Gaz., No. 2805/4. 2 Purses, one a Catskin, and the other a colour’d Purse.
1805. Scott, Lett., in Lockhart, Life (1839), II. 249. If Mrs. Ellis takes a fancy for cat-skin fur, now is the time.
1830. Gen. P. Thompson, Exerc. (1842), I. 228. We want no more wars for cat-skins.
2. † a. Short for a catskin bag (obs.). b. slang. An inferior kind of silk-hat.
1599. Heywood, 2 Edw. IV., III. iii. (Enter … Iockie, Loden.) Heres her catte skinne till she come.
1857. Hughes, Tom Brown, I. v. Tom is arrayed … in a regulation cat-skin at seven-and-sixpence.
