Also 7 catlin. [f. CAT sb. + -LING, dim. suffix. The connection of sense 3 does not appear: perh. it is a distinct word.]

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  1.  A little cat; a kitten.

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c. 1630.  Drumm. of Hawth., Poems, Wks. (1711), 50. Never cat nor catling I shall find.

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1791.  Huddesford, Salmagundi, 134. Cats and Catlings of ignoble line.

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1866.  Ld. Osborne, Educ. Children, 23. The fate of the brother and sister catlings.

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  2.  Catgut for a violin, lute, or the like; ‘the smallest-sized lute-strings’ (Stainer & Barrett).

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[1592.  Shaks., Rom. & Jul., IV. v. 132. (To Musician) What say you Simon Catling?] Ibid. (1606), Tr. & Cr., III. iii. 306. Vnlesse the Fidler Apollo get his sinewes to make catlings on.

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1708.  Kersey, Catlings or Catlins, a sort of small Cat-gut Strings for Musical Instruments.

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1721.  C. King, Brit. Merch., I. 284. Lutestrings, Catlings, Minikings.

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1812.  J. Smyth, Pract. Customs, 53. Catlings are small strings for fiddles and other musical instruments.

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1833.  Act 3 & 4 Will. IV., lvi. Catlings, the Gross, containing 12 Dozen Knots.

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  b.  transf. (pl.) Stringed instruments.

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1652.  Benlowes, Theoph., III. li. 43. Still, Tort’ring the deep-mouth’d Catlins, till Hoarse-thundring Diapasons should the whole Room fill.

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  3.  Surg. ‘A long, narrow, double-edged, sharp-pointed, straight knife for performing amputations’ (Syd. Soc. Lex.).

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1617.  Woodall, Surg. Mate, 2. Of the dismembring knife, and of the Catling…. Whatsoever the Catling or dismembring knife cannot come at by reason of their greatnes or vnfitnes; and then proceed to the sawe.

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1689.  Moyle, Sea Chyrurg., II. i. 25. With your Catling divide the Vessels between the bones.

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1824.  Ann. Reg., Chron., 16 Jan., 9/1. Sir Astley [Cooper] … with the limb in one hand, and the catling in the other, commenced the operation.

17

  † 4.  = CATKIN. (But possibly a misprint.) Obs.

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1665–76.  Ray, Flora, 221. The flowers [of mulberry] are downy Catlins, which turn into berries.

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1704.  Harris (J.). Catling, The down or moss growing about walnut-trees, resembling the hair of a cat. Hence in Kersey, Bailey, Johnson, and mod. Dicts.

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