What does tomcatting mean?
Tomcatting is an informal word for engaging in sexual relations with a number of different partners. As the present participle of tomcat, it normally names the activity—"he stopped tomcatting"—though it can also stand in adjectivally in phrases such as "tomcatting behaviour." The expression is especially associated with British and North American speech and is applied overwhelmingly to men. Its register is casual and often censorious: it does more than report non-monogamous conduct, because it can carry the implication of a man who is persistently promiscuous. It does not, by itself, necessarily mean adultery, although it is often used to characterize behaviour regarded as disloyal. Tomcatting derives from tomcat, an old compound for a male cat and, by extension, a sexually promiscuous man. The word is a vivid example of how zoological vocabulary can become sharply evaluative when applied to human conduct.
verb (present participle)Engaging in sexual relations with a number of different partners. The term is informal and is applied predominantly to men, usually with the implication of persistent promiscuity.
- Engaging in sexual relations with multiple partners.
"The novel's playboy keeps tomcatting during his visits to Paris, much to the dismay of his family."
"The magazine dismissed the politician's private life as nothing more than tomcatting."
"The witness described the defendant as a man who had spent the evening tomcatting in the hotel bar."
Tomcatting began with a cat, then became sharp, judgmental shorthand for a man who never settles down.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does tomcatting come from?
Tomcat is an old compound formed from tom, an established word for a male cat, and cat; tom is traditionally linked to the name Thomas. The modern sexual sense developed later, in 20th-century English, through the comparison of a promiscuous man to a male cat. Tomcatting is the present participle of the verb tomcat, while tom and cat are the compound's earlier lexical elements.
Related word forms
How tomcatting is actually used
This is informal, often disparaging language, especially associated with British usage. It is applied overwhelmingly to men and can imply frequent, casual sexual activity; it does not necessarily mean adultery, although it often describes conduct regarded as disloyal.