noun
General Slang
Cats
/kæts/ · noun · slang
The guys, especially musicians and people who are hip to the scene.
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Definitions
1
Anyone connected to or fluent in the hip subculture.
“Only the real cats showed up for the late set.”
by community
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2
Men, fellows — particularly those who are cool and in-the-know.
“The cats over by the bar dig the same poets we do.”
by community
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3
Jazz musicians specifically; the players in a band.
“These cats can really swing.”
by community
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Cats In A Sentence
A couple of cats from the band joined us after.
Those cats know every Bird record by heart.
He's one of the coolest cats in the Village.
Origin & Usage
From 1920s-30s Black jazz slang, where a 'cat' was a musician or hip person. The plural 'cats' became universal in jazz and was adopted by 1950s beatniks for the men of their scene.
People Also Ask
What does cats mean in beatnik slang?
It means the guys — especially musicians and hip insiders. A 'cat' was a cool, in-the-know man.
Where did cats come from?
From 1920s-30s Black jazz culture, where a 'cat' meant a musician or hip person. Beatniks adopted the term in the 1950s.
What's a 'cool cat'?
An especially cool, composed, in-the-know man — an intensified version of 'cat' that became a signature beat-era phrase.
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