Standard Lemma guide

cathead

noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkæthɛd/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈkætˌ(h)ɛd/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A heavy piece of timber projecting somewhat horizontally from each side of the bow of a ship on which an anchor is raised or lowered, and secured when not used, from its stock end.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A decorative element at the end of such a timber that often depicts a cat's head.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A (small) capstan (“vertical cylindrical machine that revolves on a spindle, used to apply force to cables, ropes, etc.”) or windlass (“type of winch”) forming part of hoisting machinery.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, engineering, mining, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, technology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A nodule of ironstone containing fossil remains.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: UK, dialectal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

Ellipsis of cathead biscuit (“a large fluffy biscuit, typically served with gravy”).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

Synonym of cat (“to hoist (an anchor) so that it hangs at the cathead (noun sense 1.1)”)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: nautical, transport

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: cat

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

The noun is derived from cat + head. Sense 1.1 (“heavy piece of timber projecting from a ship on which an anchor is raised or lowered, and secured”) is from the fact that such a timber traditionally had a cat or lion’s head carved on its end. Sense 4 (“ellipsis of cathead biscuit”) is apparently from the fact that the biscuit is similar in size to a cat’s head. The verb is derived from the noun.

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: رجام — heavy piece of timber projecting from a ship on which an anchor is raised or lowered, and secured
  • Catalan: arganell — heavy piece of timber projecting from a ship on which an anchor is raised or lowered, and secured
  • Catalan: serviola — heavy piece of timber projecting from a ship on which an anchor is raised or lowered, and secured
  • Dhivehi: ގުޑުގުޑާ (guḍuguḍā) — heavy piece of timber projecting from a ship on which an anchor is raised or lowered, and secured
  • Finnish: ranapalkki — heavy piece of timber projecting from a ship on which an anchor is raised or lowered, and secured
  • German: Kranbalken — heavy piece of timber projecting from a ship on which an anchor is raised or lowered, and secured
  • Italian: ceppo — heavy piece of timber projecting from a ship on which an anchor is raised or lowered, and secured
  • Italian: grua di capone — heavy piece of timber projecting from a ship on which an anchor is raised or lowered, and secured
  • Italian: gru di capone — heavy piece of timber projecting from a ship on which an anchor is raised or lowered, and secured
  • Polish: kotbelka — heavy piece of timber projecting from a ship on which an anchor is raised or lowered, and secured
  • Portuguese: serviola — heavy piece of timber projecting from a ship on which an anchor is raised or lowered, and secured
  • Russian: кат-ба́лка (kat-bálka) — heavy piece of timber projecting from a ship on which an anchor is raised or lowered, and secured
  • Swedish: kranbalk — heavy piece of timber projecting from a ship on which an anchor is raised or lowered, and secured
  • Ukrainian: кат-балка (kat-balka) — heavy piece of timber projecting from a ship on which an anchor is raised or lowered, and secured
  • Ukrainian: кра́мбол (krámbol) — heavy piece of timber projecting from a ship on which an anchor is raised or lowered, and secured
  • Finnish: kissanpää — decorative element at the end of such a timber that often depicts a cat’s head
  • Finnish: fossiilia sisältävä rautamalmi — nodule of ironstone containing fossil remains