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Glite Dictionary
Manx cat

Manx cat

4.5
A type of cat with a very short or no tail
  • noun
  • /mæŋks kæt/
translation icon : gato Manx
  • The Manx cat is known for its unique appearance, often lacking a tail altogether.

Examples

  • I stooped to pet the Manx cat on the step of the White Hart Public House.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • We adopted a playful Manx cat that loves to chase after toys.

  • On our visit to the Isle of Man, we met a friendly Manx cat at a local café.

Synonyms

Manx
vsManx cat
8.4

A type of house cat with little or no tail from the Isle of Man

emphasizes a genetic mutation that shortens or removes the tail

Surface Forms

Manx cat singular
Manx cats plural

Morphology

Manx + cat

The compound follows a regular noun-noun/adjunct pattern: 'Manx' (denoting the Isle of Man breed) + 'cat' yields a cat of that breed. If a B1 learner already knows the constituent 'Manx' and 'cat', the breed sense (a cat from the Isle of Man, often tailless) is directly inferable, making the expression compositional and cross-linguistically transparent.

Etymology

Manx cat comes from the Isle of Man: Manx means from that place and cat is the animal, and these cats were often born with a very short or no tail. That's why 'Manx cat' now means a cat with a short or missing tail.