What does catgut mean?
Catgut is a durable cord made by drying and twisting together strands of animal intestine, most commonly from sheep or goats rather than cats, despite what the name suggests. For centuries it was the standard material for the strings of violins, guitars, harps, and other instruments, prized for the warm tone it produced. It also served practical roles beyond music: it was used to string tennis racquets and badminton rackets, and surgeons employed it as an absorbable suture that the body could naturally break down, sparing patients a second procedure to remove stitches. Today, synthetic materials have largely displaced it in medicine and sport, though some players of period instruments still prefer genuine gut strings for their authentic sound. The word itself dates to around the sixteenth century, and one popular theory traces its odd first syllable to 'kit', an old term for a small fiddle, rather than to any feline origin. As a noun, catgut remains a useful term in discussions of historical instruments, traditional craftsmanship, and the history of surgery.
nounA strong cord or string made from the dried, twisted intestines of animals such as sheep or goats, used historically for the strings of musical instruments, tennis racquets, and surgical sutures.
- A cord made from dried, twisted animal intestine, used especially for musical instrument strings, sports racquet strings, and surgical sutures.
"The luthier strung the violin with fresh catgut before the recital."
"Early violins were strung entirely with catgut until metal strings became common in the twentieth century."
"Surgeons once relied on absorbable catgut sutures to close internal wounds without removing stitches."
Mostly used as an uncountable material noun; the plural appears mainly when referring to individual strings or cords.
"He replaced the worn catguts on his baroque violin before the performance."
Despite its name, catgut has never been made from cats — it comes mostly from sheep, and one theory says the 'cat' actually comes from an old word for a small fiddle, the kit.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of catgut
Catgut entered English in the sixteenth century, first recorded in references to musical instrument strings. The material itself is much older, having been used for stringed instruments since antiquity. The origin of the 'cat' element is disputed: the folk explanation that the cords were made from cat intestines is false, and one plausible theory derives it from 'kit', an old word for a small fiddle whose strings were made of gut, making 'kitgut' a likely ancestor of the modern form.
Related word forms
How catgut is actually used
Catgut is a somewhat technical or historical term; in everyday speech it appears mainly when discussing early music, stringed instruments, vintage sports equipment, or traditional surgery. Modern surgical practice has largely replaced it with synthetic absorbable sutures, so the word often carries a slightly old-fashioned connotation.
Easily confused with catgut
Gut refers to the intestine itself as an organ (or to courage or a stomach), while catgut is specifically a processed cord made from animal intestines and used as string or surgical thread.