catgut
1
9.9
- noun
- /ˈkætˌɡʌt/
- Archaic
:
tripa de gato
- Grace had learned suturing early on as a result and had sewn up his ass with catgut from an old guitar in her closet.
- catgut strings
Examples
-
I tie sash weights to her ankles with soft catgut.
-
(Torres's original design used catgut strings; these have for the most part been replaced by nylon.)
Academic text (2011) -
Stevie Wolfe was a genius with catgut, and he could play anything anybody could hum, but he never could keep his mouth shut on road trips.
Fiction book (2002) -
One or two brisk bleeders will often be encountered near the corners of the incision, and they must be suture-ligated with plain catgut (cautery is inadequate).
Academic text (1999) -
The surgeon used catgut to stitch the wound after the procedure.
-
Musicians often prefer strings made from catgut for their violins because of the rich sound.
-
In ancient times, catgut was a popular material for sutures in medical surgeries.
Synonyms
252
9.0
A strong thin cord made from animal intestines used for sewing inside the body or stringing rackets
76
2.1
A thin, tight cord on a musical instrument or racket
How Strong
Surface Forms
Etymology
Catgut sounds like it comes from a cat, but it actually means a strong cord made from animal gut, or 'intestines'. One helpful way to remember it is to think of the name as pointing to the material, animal gut, which is why catgut was used for instrument strings and surgical thread.