Persian cat
1
1.5
- noun
- /ˈpɜrʒən kæt/
:
gato persa
- It's the sort of idea that makes me wish I had a volcano-based lair, an army of faceless minions, and a white Persian cat to go with the mad cackling that describing it requires.
- a white Persian cat
I remember her with her little Persian cat.
- I remember her with her little Persian cat.
Examples
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Foote, standing impatiently outside with her fat Persian cat in her arms.
Fiction book (1995) -
I had a Persian cat once.
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"Queen Milly was the Persian cat.
Fiction book (1999) -
Sitting on top of the cabinet is a white Persian cat. #REBECCA#
Fiction book (1993) -
I find it difficult to believe that Donald Trump is secretly petting a white Persian cat.
Blog text (2) -
"Watch the claws, Muffin," the other said to the Persian cat.
Fiction book (2000) -
A king-sized bed with flounces and ruffles and a white Persian cat lying on a silk pillow, eyes wide, poised for flight.
Fiction book (2002) -
My Persian cat loves to cuddle on my lap while I read.
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She adopted a playful Persian cat with fluffy fur and bright blue eyes.
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The Persian cat sat gracefully on the windowsill, watching the birds outside.
Synonyms
A long-haired cat with a flat face and gentle nature
How Furry
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'Persian' specifies the type/origin/breed and 'cat' names the animal, so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes a cat of the Persian breed (long fur, round face). This adjective+noun breed construction is cross-linguistically common and non-idiomatic, making the expression immediately understandable.
Etymology
Persian cat may come from the country 'Persia', now called Iran, where people kept long-haired cats for their soft fur and calm nature. Traders brought these round-faced, gentle cats to Europe, and so today Persian cat means the long-haired, round-faced pet we know.