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catfight. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
catfight, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
catfight in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From cat + fight. So named because, like cats, scratching is a common defensive tactic among women, as opposed to a fistfight between men.
Pronunciation
Noun
catfight (plural catfights)
- A fight between cats.
The caterwauling from the catfight in the back yard was awful; I couldn't get to sleep until it was over.
- (slang) A fight or bickering, especially between women.
- Synonyms: hairpulling contest, (Australia) scragfight
Nancy and Sheila got into a catfight when Nancy's boyfriend cheated on her with Sheila.
1980, Louise Bernikow, Among Women, New York: Harmony Books, page 207:Female conflict, seen in this kind of structure, works conveniently—it takes note of aggression in women and sets it against other women. Men are spared. The audience applauds. Everyone loves a catfight.
2005, Maureen Dowd, Are Men Necessary?, →ISBN, page 310:There was a time when I would get furious and fire off an angry note if someone cast me in a catfight with a woman colleague. I assumed that catfights would fade as women progressed. They seemed so retro.
Related terms
- (fight, especially between women): catty
Translations
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