gato

== English == === Etymology === Borrowed from Spanish gato. Doublet of cat. === Pronunciation === enPR: gä′-tō (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɡɑ.toʊ/ (uncommon) enPR: gă′-tō (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɡæ.toʊ/ === Noun === gato (plural gatos) (term of endearment, chiefly Southern US, Southwestern US) cat, kitty ==== Usage notes ==== This term is not strictly reserved to the Latin American diaspora of the United States, and is also used with mild frequency as a Hispanicism by white Americans. While especially rare, the terms gata (for a female cat), gatito (diminutive), and gatita (feminine diminutive) are occasionally found. However, since English speakers generally do not differentiate between gendered forms of animal names, these are in limited usage. This term is chiefly used for domestic cats. This is likely because few other species of felids are found commonly living among humans in the range where this term is used. == Bambara == === Etymology === Borrowed from French gâteau. === Noun === gato cake == Galician == === Etymology === From Old Galician-Portuguese gato, from Late Latin cattus. See cat for more. === Pronunciation === Rhymes: -ato Hyphenation: ga‧to === Noun === gato m (plural gatos, feminine gata, feminine plural gatas) cat ==== Derived terms ==== Gato === References === Seoane, Ernesto Xosé González; Granja, María Álvarez de la; Agrelo, Ana Isabel Boullón (2006–2022), “gato”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval [Dictionary of dictionaries of Medieval Galician] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega Barreiro, Xavier Varela; Guinovart, Xavier Gómez (2006–2018), “gato”, in Corpus Xelmírez: corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval [Corpus Xelmírez: linguistic corpus of Medieval Galicia] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “gato”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “gato”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “gato”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN === Further reading === “gato”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2026 “gato”, in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (in Galician), 2014–2026 == Haitian Creole == === Etymology === From French gâteau. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ɡato/ === Noun === gato cake === References === Targète, Jean; Urciolo, Raphael (1993), Haitian Creole-English Dictionary‎[4], Dunwoody Press, →ISBN, page 74 == Hausa == === Etymology === Borrowed from French gateau. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ɡàː.tôː/ === Noun === gā̀tô m (possessed form gā̀tôn) (Niger) cake Synonym: (Nigeria) kyât == Ladino == === Etymology === From Late Latin cattus. See cat for more. === Noun === gato m (plural gatos) cat == Lower Sorbian == === Etymology === From dygato, from gdygato. === Adverb === gato recently ==== Related terms ==== === Further reading === Muka, Arnošt (1921, 1928), “gato”, in Słownik dolnoserbskeje rěcy a jeje narěcow (in German), St. Petersburg, Prague: ОРЯС РАН, ČAVU; Reprinted Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag, 2008 Starosta, Manfred (1999), “gato”, in Dolnoserbsko-nimski słownik / Niedersorbisch-deutsches Wörterbuch (in German), Bautzen: Domowina-Verlag == Mauritian Creole == === Etymology === From French gâteau. === Noun === gato cake === References === Baker, Philip; Hookoomsing, Vinesh Y. (1987), Diksiyoner kreol morisyeṅ [Mauritian Creole Dictionary] (in French and English), Paris: L'Harmattan, →ISBN == Pali == === Alternative forms === === Adjective === gato nominative singular masculine of gata, which is past participle of gacchati (“to go”) == Portuguese == === Etymology 1 === From Old Galician-Portuguese gato, from Late Latin cattum; compare also catta, possibly of ultimately Afroasiatic origin. See the etymology at cat for further details. ==== Pronunciation ==== Rhymes: -atu Hyphenation: ga‧to ==== Noun ==== gato m (plural gatos, feminine gata, feminine plural gatas) cat (domestic cat: Felis silvestris catus) Synonyms: (formal designation) gato-doméstico, gato caseiro (by extension) feline, felid, cat Synonyms: felino, felídeo one of a number of utensils made of iron or similar material used to fix objects excess flesh on the upper part of riding animals (colloquial) very handsome person Synonyms: pão, bom (Brazil, colloquial) an illegal connection to use electricity or watch pay TV for free Synonym: gambiarra (Brazil, colloquial) a petty thief Synonyms: gatuno, trombadinha (Brazil, colloquial) truck driver who rents boias-frias to work on farming (Alentejo) wineskin (Trás-os-Montes) error, mistake Synonyms: erro, engano (Trás-os-Montes) lie (deliberately false statement) Synonym: mentira ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Descendants ===== Annobonese: gatu Kabuverdianu: gátu → Kimbundu: ngatu →? Gulf Arabic: قطو (gaṭu) ==== Adjective ==== gato (feminine gata, masculine plural gatos, feminine plural gatas, comparable, comparative mais gato, superlative o mais gato or gatíssimo, diminutive gatinho, augmentative gatão) (Brazil, informal, of a person) physically attractive Synonyms: belo, bonito, giro Ela é muito gata. ― She is very beautiful. ==== Further reading ==== “gato” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913 === Etymology 2 === ==== Verb ==== gato first-person singular present indicative of gatar ==== Further reading ==== “gato”, in Dicionário Aulete Digital (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2026 “gato”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2026 == Seychellois Creole == === Etymology === From French gâteau. === Noun === gato cake === References === D'Offay, Danielle; Lionnet, Guy (1982), Diksyonner kreol-franse [Creole-French Dictionary] (in French), Hamburg: Buske, →ISBN == Spanish == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈɡato/ [ˈɡa.t̪o] Rhymes: -ato Syllabification: ga‧to === Etymology 1 === Inherited from Late Latin cattus (compare Catalan gat, French chat, Italian gatto, Portuguese gato). See cat for more. ==== Noun ==== gato m (plural gatos, feminine gata, feminine plural gatas) cat (unspecified gender) Synonyms: felino, félido Hyponyms: azul ruso, Gato de Cheshire, gato montés, gato persa, gato atigrado, gato colorado, gato exótico (“Exotic Shorthair”), siamés, devon rex (“Devon Rex”), korat (“Korat”), cartujo (“Chartreux”), gato de Van (“Turkish van”), abisinio (“Abyssinian cat”), Manx, gato Manx, gato de Borneo, gato del desierto, gato Bombay (“Bombay cat”), gato común europeo (“European shorthair”), rex alemán (“German Rex”), gato himalayo (“Himalayan cat”), bosque de Noruega (“Norwegian forest cat”) tomcat, gib (male cat) (Mexico) servant Synonyms: achichincle, servidor, sirviente, mozo, criado C-clamp jack (mechanical device) (Mexico) tic-tac-toe Synonym: tres en línea (colloquial) Madrilenian (a person from Madrid) Synonym: madrileño (Costa Rica) person with blue or green eyes ===== Synonyms ===== ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== ===== Descendants ===== → English: gato === Etymology 2 === Borrowed from French gâteau. ==== Noun ==== gato m (plural gatos) (Costa Rica) rectangular cake made of two layers joined by jam in the middle === Etymology 3 === Back-formation from gatillar. ==== Noun ==== gato m (plural gatos) (obsolete, slang, Argentina) whoremonger (vulgar, slang, Argentina) a prostitute woman === References === === Further reading === “gato”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025 === Anagrams === gota, toga == Venetan == === Alternative forms === gat (Dialectal) === Etymology === From Late Latin cattus (“cat”). See the etymology at cat for further details. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈɡa.to/ Hyphenation: gàto === Noun === gato m (plural gati) cat (Felis silvestris catus, a domesticated feline commonly kept as a house pet) == Welsh == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈɡatɔ/ === Etymology 1 === ==== Alternative forms ==== gadawo ==== Verb ==== gato (literary) third-person singular subjunctive of gadael ==== Mutation ==== === Etymology 2 === ==== Verb ==== gato soft mutation of cato ==== Mutation ====