DCHP-2
cat ((3)) 3 † DCHP-1 (pre-1967)
THIS ENTRY MAY CONTAIN OUTDATED INFORMATION, TERMS and EXAMPLES
1 n.
a caterpillar tractor; a bulldozer.
See also: bulldozer
- 1934 The North . . . awoke to the challenging roar of the "cats" as they hustled their heavy burdens over the cumbrous frozen land.
- 1952 "Cats" and "cat-swings," "cat skinners" and "brakies" are all part of the fabulous transportation system of the Canadian north.
- 1963 Use of traditional cats for snow removal would allow speeds of only up to three miles an hour.
2 n. — North, Informal
a tractor-drawn train of sleds and cabooses (def. 5), the principal means of transporting freight, supplies, etc. in the Canadian North in winter.
See also: caboose (def. 5) cat-train
- 1952 . . . dogs and "cats" between them have transported men, materials and supplies to the isolated settlements or lonely shacks.
- 1952 The life line of the northland, which makes it possible for people to live in tiny, isolated settlements . . . are the "tractor trains" called by the north people "cat swings" or "cats."
- 1934 The North . . . awoke to the challenging roar of the "cats" as they hustled their heavy burdens over the cumbrous frozen land.