"small box for tea," 1792, from Malay kati a weight equivalent to about a pound and a third (in English from 1590s as catty), adopted as a standard mid-18c. by British companies in the East Indies. Apparently the word for a measure of tea was transferred to the chest it was carried in.
A Cadillac car: And we'll rent a black Caddy (1920s+)
A Cadillac automobile: Park that Caddy over there
container for tea. A corrupt form of the Malay kati, a weight of a little more than a pound (or about half a kilogram), the word was applied first to porcelain jars filled with tea and imported into England from China. Many caddies made from silver, copper, brass, pewter, and other decorative materials, such as veneers of tortoiseshell or ivory on wood, were made in the 18th century.