a cat has nine lives
Preserved but no longer current.
A cat is more tenacious of life than many animals. It is a careful, sly, and suspicious beast, and — in the wild state — is strong, hardy, and ferocious; also, after a fall, it generally lights upon its feet without injury, the foot and toes being well padded.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “a cat has nine lives” mean?
A cat is more tenacious of life than many animals. It is a careful, sly, and suspicious beast, and — in the wild state — is strong, hardy, and ferocious; also, after a fall, it generally lights upon its feet without injury, the foot and toes being well padded.
Is “a cat has nine lives” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.