cats-paw

Founding-era definition · Webster's 1828 American Dictionary

CATS-PAW, noun 1. Among seamen, a light air perceived, in a calm, by a rippling of the surface of the water; also, a particular turn in the bight of a rope, made to hook a tackle on. 2. A dupe; the instrument which another uses.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI

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