cat's cradle

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

cat's cradle (countable and uncountable, plural cat's cradles)

1. (uncountable) A children's game of forming string into various shapes around one's fingers.
2. (countable, idiomatic) Any complicated structure that appears to be without purpose.
   • 2020, Sophy Roberts, The Lost Pianos of Siberia, page 89:

     There was the a risk that my research might reveal the original, rightful owner of an instrument, which could open up a cat's cradle of restitution claims.

Translations

children's game

• Armenian: թելեցուկ (hy) (tʻelecʻuk)
• Esperanto: fadenludo
• French: (jeu du) berceau, (jeu de la) scie
• German: Fadenspiel (de) n
• Hebrew: סבתא סורגת
• Irish: crúb na gé f
• Japanese: あやとり (ja) (ayatori)
• Korean: 실뜨기 (siltteugi)
• Maori: whai
• Navajo: naʼatłʼoʼ
• Portuguese: cama de gato (pt)

Anagrams

• cardcastle