Cat match.  When a rook or cully is engaged amongst
  bad bowlers.

Cat of nine tails.  A scourge composed of nine strings
  of whip-cord, each string having nine knots.

Cat’s paw.  To be made a cat’s paw of; to be made a tool
  or instrument to accomplish the purpose of another:  an
  allusion to the story of a monkey, who made use of a cat’s
  paw to scratch a roasted chesnut out of the fire.

Cat’s sleep.  Counterfeit sleep:  cats often counterfeiting
  sleep, to decoy their prey near them, and then suddenly
  spring on them.

Cat sticks.  Thin legs, compared to sticks with which
  boys play at cat.  See TRAPSTICKS.

Cat whipping, or whipping the cat.  A trick often
  practised on ignorant country fellows, vain of their strength,
  by laying a wager with them that they may be pulled
  through a pond by a cat.  The bet being made, a rope is
  fixed round the waist of the party to be catted, and the
  end thrown across the pond, to which the cat is also
  fastened by a packthread, and three or four sturdy fellows
  are appointed to lead and whip the cat; these on a signal
  given, seize the end of the cord, and pretending to whip
  the cat, haul the astonished booby through the water. 
  —­To whip the cat, is also a term among tailors for working
  jobs at private houses, as practised in the country.

Catamaran.  An old scraggy woman; from a kind of float
  made of spars and yards lashed together, for saving
  ship-wrecked persons.

Catch club.  A member of the patch club; a bum bailiff.

Catch fart.  A footboy; so called from such servants
  commonly following close behind their master or mistress.

Catch penny.  Any temporary contrivance to raise a
  contribution on the public.

Catch pole.  A bum bailiff, or sheriff’s officer.

Catching harvest. A dangerous time for a robbery,
  when many persons are on the road, on account of a
  horse-race, fair, or some other public meeting.

Cater cousins.  Good friends.  He and I are not cater
  cousins, i.e. we are not even cousins in the fourth degree,
  or four times removed; that is, we have not the least
  friendly connexion.

Caterpillar.  A nick name for a soldier.  In the year
  1745, a soldier quartered at a house near Derby, was desired
  by his landlord to call upon him, whenever he came
  that way; for, added he, soldiers are the pillars of the
  nation.  The rebellion being finished, it happened the same
  regiment was quartered in Derbyshire, when the soldier
  resolved to accept of his landlord’s