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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1941 (SND Vol. II).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Quotation dates: 1825, 1923

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CATE, Cait, Kate, Cater, v. “To desire the male or female; a term used only of cats” (Sc. 1808 Jam., cait, cate; 1825 Jam.2, kate). Cf. Kaid, v. [ket, ketr]Fif. 1825 Jam.2:
The cat's caterin.
ne.Rxb., w.Rxb. 1923 Watson W.-B.:
The cat's a-catin'.

[E.D.D. s.v. kaid refers to Sw. kätja, to be lascivious, and cfs. Dan. kaad, lascivious. The variant cater is a frequentative form.]

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"Cate v.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 2 Apr 2026 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/cate>

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