alley cat
4
2.9
- noun
- /ˈæli kæt/
:
gato callejero
- An alley cat has no owner, so it must fend for itself on the streets.
Examples
-
It's Monty, a scrawny alley cat, scratching to get in.
Fiction book (2000) -
The last time they did that was when an alley cat got in and ate up one of my nice Rice finches.
-
My home for all the alley cats of Paris.
-
But someday, we might meet a tough alley cat.
-
I'm a tough alley cat too.
-
Sometimes we would jump at the sound of a trash can lid knocked off by an alley cat.
Fiction book (1997) -
I sit on the window ledge, watching the alley cats walk the narrow fence tops.
Fiction book (1999) -
Suddenly, an alley cat screamed and bolted off a fruit cart, sending an avalanche of apples rumbling into the street.
Fiction book (1995) -
The alley cat darted across the street, searching for food among the garbage bins.
-
We often see an alley cat lounging in the sun outside the cafe.
Synonyms
How Feral
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a cat that has no home and lives in the streets' is directly and literally built from 'alley' (a narrow street) + 'cat' (a feline), so the compound indicates a cat associated with alleys/streets. This compositional, cross-linguistically common pattern makes the phrase immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.
Etymology
The name alley cat comes from the simple image of a cat living in an alley, looking for food and sleeping outdoors. That's why it means 'a cat that has no home and lives in the streets'.