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catawampus. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
catawampus, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
catawampus in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
catawampus you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Pronunciation
- (US) IPA(key): /ˌkætəˈwɑmpəs/, /ˈkætəwɑmpəs/
Etymology 1
The first part may be related to cater-corner. The second part may be related to wampish (“wriggle, twist about like a fish”).
Adjective
catawampus (comparative more catawampus, superlative most catawampus)
- (US) Out of alignment, in disarray or disorder: crooked, askew.
1885, Charles Egbert Craddock, Down the Ravine:"Waal, I noticed ez the aidge o' one o' them boards war sot sorter catawampus, ...".
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
out of alignment, crooked, cater-corner
Adverb
catawampus (comparative more catawampus, superlative most catawampus)
- (US) Diagonally.
- (US) Utterly.
Etymology 2
Perhaps from catamount (“cougar, puma, lynx”), influenced by the adjective above.
Noun
catawampus (plural catawampuses)
- (US) A fierce imaginary animal, a bogeyman.
Translations
Adjective
catawampus (comparative more catawampus, superlative most catawampus)
- (US) Fierce, destructive.
1844, Charles Dickens, chapter 21, in The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit:There air some catawampous chawers in the small way too, as graze upon a human pretty strong; but don't mind them, they're company.
References
- Jonathan E. Lighter, Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Volume I, A-G. Random House USA, 1994. →ISBN.
- Frederic G[omes] Cassidy, editor (1985), “catawampus”, in Dictionary of American Regional English, volumes I (Introduction and A–C), Cambridge, Mass., London: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, →ISBN, pages 558–559.
- Eric Partridge, The Routledge Dictionary of Historical Slang. Routledge, 1973. →ISBN.
- Mrs. Byrne (1979) “catawampus”, in Mrs. Byrne’s Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure and Preposterous Words: Gathered from Numerous and Diverse Authoritative Sources, London: Granada Publishing, →ISBN.
Further reading