A vocabulary of landscape — a landscape of words
1054 entries
cat’s paw
A light, localized ruffle on an otherwise calm water surface, caused by a brief puff of wind. Visible from a distance as a dark patch on the water. Sailors watch for cat’s paws because they show where the wind is arriving — and from what direction — before you can feel it.
Etymology
Nautical English. The soft, patchy ripple resembles the print of a cat’s paw — a light touch on the water’s surface. The term also names a knot, from the same image of a paw’s shape.