tomcat

1 of 2

noun

tom·​cat ˈtäm-ˌkat How to pronounce tomcat (audio)
: a male domestic cat

tomcat

2 of 2

verb

tomcatted; tomcatting; tomcats

intransitive verb

: to seek sexual gratification promiscuously : cat
often used with around

Examples of tomcat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Photo: Mattel and Netflix If Ryan’s tomcat vapidity represents a stereotypical male weakness, Raquelle’s backstabbing materialism plays with its female equivalent. Sean T. Collins, Vulture, 8 Mar. 2024 The tomcat had been spotted wandering with a wound on his chest. Stephen Humphries, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 May 2024 Note that the scent does not draw squirrels, tomcats, or teenage boys. James Shreeve, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2019 The only good feral tomcat is one with an arrow through its head! Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 17 Aug. 2023 Her big red tomcat, Rex, lolls at her feet. Suzanne Van Atten, ajc, 12 Oct. 2013 The eggs were fertilized with sperm from a non-fluorescent tomcat and implanted in female cats, and five fluorescent green kittens were born, out of a total of eleven embryos (three now survive, as one was stillborn and another died during birth). Veronique Greenwood, Discover Magazine, 12 Sep. 2011 That’s because her mother was gray and white and her father was a big orange tomcat. Karen Jones, cleveland, 3 Nov. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1789, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1927, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of tomcat was in 1789

Dictionary Entries Near tomcat

Cite this Entry

“Tomcat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tomcat. Accessed 18 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

tomcat

noun
tom·​cat
ˈtäm-ˌkat
: a male domestic cat

More from Merriam-Webster on tomcat

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!