Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CAT'E-CHISM, n. [Gr. κατηχισμος.]

1. A form of instruction by means of questions and answers, particularly in the principles of religion.
2. An elementary book containing a summary of principles in any science or art, but appropriately in religion, reduced to the form of questions and answers, and sometimes with notes, explanations and references to authorities.

CAT'E-CHIST, n. [Gr. κατηχιστης.]

One who instructs viva voce, or by question and answer; a catechiser; one appointed by the church to instruct in the principles of religion.

CAT-E-CHIS'TIC, or CAT-E-CHIS'TIC-AL, a.

Pertaining to a catechist, or catechism.

CAT'E-CHU, n.

A dry extract, or brown astringent substance, obtained by decoction and evaporation from Acacia Catechu, in India. It consists chiefly of tannin. – Thomson. Ure.

CAT-E-CHU'MEN, n. [Gr. κατηχουμενα, places where hearers stood to be instructed, or buildings adjoining a church where the catechist taught the doctrines of religion.]

One who is in the first rudiments of Christianity; one who is receiving instruction and preparing himself for baptism. These were anciently the children of believing parents, or pagans not fully initiated in the principles of the Christian religion. They were admitted to this state by the imposition of hands, and the sign of the cross. – Encyc.

CAT-E-CHU-MEN'IC-AL, a.

Belonging to catechumens.

CAT-E-CHU'MEN-IST, n.

A catechumen. – Bp. Morton.

CAT-E-GOR-E-MAT'IC, a.

In logic, applied to a word which is capable of being employed by itself as a term, or predicate of a proposition. – Brande.

CAT-E-GOR'IC-AL, a. [See Category.]

1. Pertaining to a category.
2. Absolute; positive; express; not relative or hypothetical; as, a categorical proposition, syllogism or answer.

CAT-E-GOR'IC-AL-LY, adv.

Absolutely; directly; expressly; positively; as, to affirm categorically.

CAT'E-GORY, n. [Gr. κατηγορια, from κατηγορεω, to accuse, show, demonstrate; κατα and αγορεω, to speak in an assembly, to harangue or denounce, from αγορα, a forum, judicial tribunal or market.]

In logic, a series or order of all the predicates, or attributes contained under a genus. The school philosophers distributed all the objects of our thoughts and ideas into genera or classes. Aristotle made ten categories, viz. substance, quantity, quality, relation, action, passion, time, place, situation, and habit. – Encyc.

CAT-E-NA'RI-AN, or CAT'E-NA-RY, a. [L. catenarius, from catena, a chain.]

Relating to a chain; like a chain. The catenarian curve, in geometry, is formed by a rope or chain hanging freely between two points of suspension, whether the points are horizontal or not. – Harris. Encyc.

CAT'E-NATE, v.t. [L. catena, a chain; G. kette; Sans. ketta, whence kettenu, to bind.]

To chain, or rather to connect in a series of links or ties. – Darwin.

CAT'E-NA-TED, pp.

Connected as links in a chain.

CA'T'E-NA-TING, ppr.

Connecting as links in a chain.

CAT-E-NA'TION, n.

Connection of links, union of parts, as in a chain; regular connection. [See Concatenation.]

CAT'E-NU-LATE, a.

Consisting of little links or chains.

CA'TER, n.¹

A provider. [See Caterer.] Old Eng. achator. – Chaucer.

CA'TER, n.²

The four of cards or dice; so written for Fr. quatre.

CA'TER, v.i. [In It. cattare is to get; accattare, to beg or borrow. In Fr. acheter is to buy; Norm. acat, a buying. The Fr. quêter, for quester, to beg, seems to be a different word. See Caterer.]

To provide food; to buy or procure provisions; followed by for; as, to cater for the sparrow. – Shak.

CA'TER-COUS-IN, n.

A quatre-cousin, a remote relation. – Shak.

CA'TER-ER, n. [From cater. In Chaucer, achator, a purchaser or caterer, is evidently from acheter, to buy.]

A provider, buyer or purveyor of provisions. – Chaucer, Cant. Tales, 570. South.

CA'TER-ESS, n.

A woman who caters; a female provider of food.

CAT'ER-PIL-LAR, n. [The etymology of this word is uncertain. The last component part of the word may be from Fr. piller, to pillage or peel, or from L. pilus, hair.]

The colored and often hairy larva of the lepidopterous insects. This term is also applied to the larvas of other insects, such as the Tenthredo, or saw-fly; but is more generally confined to the lepidopters. Caterpillars are produced immediately from the egg; they are furnished with several pairs of feet, and have the shape and appearance of a worm. They contain the embryo of the perfect insect, inclosed within a muscular envelop, which is thrown off when the insect enters the nymph or chrysalis state, in which it remains for some time as if inanimate. It then throws off its last envelop, and emerges a perfect insect. Caterpillars generally feed on leaves or succulent vegetables, and are sometimes very destructive. – Ed. Encyc. Kirby.

CAT'ER-PIL-LAR-EAT-ER, n.

A worm bred in the body of a caterpillar, which eats it. – Encyc.