catty1

[kat-ee] /ˈkæt i/
adjective, cattier, cattiest.
1.
catlike; feline.
2.
slyly malicious; spiteful:
a catty gossip.
Origin
1885-90; cat1 + -y1
Related forms
cattily, adverb
cattiness, noun
Synonyms
2. mean, nasty, malevolent; bitchy.

catty2

[kat-ee] /ˈkæt i/
noun, plural catties.
1.
(in China and southeast Asia) a weight equal to about 1½ pounds (680 grams) avoirdupois.
Origin
1545-55; < Malay kati
Examples from the web for catty
  • And you can rest easy if you'd been nervous about rumors of possible changes to the show's deliciously catty judging panel.
British Dictionary definitions for catty

catty1

/ˈkætɪ/
adjective -tier, -tiest
1.
(informal) spiteful: a catty remark
2.
of or resembling a cat
Derived Forms
cattily, cattishly, adverb
cattiness, cattishness, noun

catty2

/ˈkætɪ/
noun (pl) -ties
1.
a unit of weight, used esp in E Asia, traditionally equal to about one and a half pounds but formalized as 0.5 kg in mainland China, 0.6 kg in Taiwan and Thailand, and about 0.605 kg in Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore (Mandarin) Chinese name: jin
Word Origin
C16: from Malay kati
Word Origin and History for catty
adj.

1886, "devious and spiteful," from cat (n.) + -y (2). Slightly earlier was cattish. Meaning "pertaining to cats" is from 1902. Related: Cattily; cattiness.

Slang definitions & phrases for catty

catty

adjective

Inclined to discredit others; malicious; spitefully gossipy: Karla and Susan were being catty about Dusty

[late 1800s+; but cat, ''spiteful woman,'' is attested from the 1760s]