World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English DictionariesKatz-und-Maus-Spiel
Pronunciation / Transliteration: kats unt maʊs ʃpiːl
"Die Verfolgungsjagd entwickelte sich zu einem gefährlichen Katz-und-Maus-Spiel."
Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
A prolonged, cunning contest or pursuit in which the antagonists alternately occupy the positions of pursuer and pursued.
"The detective and the serial art thief engaged in a dangerous game of cat and mouse across Europe." - 2
A tactic characterized by repeated feints, retreats, and maneuvers designed to wear down an opponent without a decisive engagement.
"The two tech giants played a game of cat and mouse with patent lawsuits and product releases."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
Derived from the predatory behavior of cats playing with captured mice before killing them, a concept documented in English folklore and literature since the 17th century. The idiom evolved to describe any prolonged, tense contest of wits and strategy where adversaries repeatedly alternate between pursuer and pursued.
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10 Global Lexicons: How "Game of cat and mouse" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
jeu du chat et de la souris
Transliteration: ʒø dy ʃa e də la suʁi
"La poursuite entre la police et le suspect s'est transformée en un véritable jeu du chat et de la souris."
Katz-und-Maus-Spiel
Transliteration: kats unt maʊs ʃpiːl
"Die Verfolgungsjagd entwickelte sich zu einem gefährlichen Katz-und-Maus-Spiel."
gioco del gatto e del topo
Transliteration: ˈdʒɔːko del ˈɡatto e del ˈtopo
"I due contendenti hanno continuato in un interminabile gioco del gatto e del topo."
juego del gato y el ratón
Transliteration: ˈxweɣo del ˈɡato i el raˈton
"El espía y la agencia de inteligencia mantuvieron un juego de gato y ratón durante meses."
jogo do gato e do rato
Transliteration: ˈʒoɡu du ˈɡatu i du ˈʁatu
"A negociação foi um verdadeiro jogo de gato e rato entre as duas empresas."
चूहे-बिल्ली का खेल
Transliteration: chuhe-billi ka khel
"पुलिस और अपराधी के बीच यह चूहे-बिल्ली का खेल काफ़ी दिनों तक चला।"
猫鼠游戏
Transliteration: māo shǔ yóu xì
"警方与嫌疑人之间展开了一场激烈的猫鼠游戏。"
고양이와 쥐의 싸움
Transliteration: goyang-iwa jw-ui ssaum
"두 수사관과 용의자는 복잡한 고양이와 쥐의 싸움을 이어갔다."
猫-鼠の追いかけっこ
Transliteration: neko nezumi no oikakekko
Script: 猫と鼠の追いかけっこ
"捜査官と犯人の間では、長く危険な猫と鼠の追いかけっこが続いた。"
Related Vocabulary Words to Explore
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A secondary residence owned or rented by a family or individual, used primarily for recreational purposes, holidays, or seasonal getaways.
Not producing or containing venom; incapable of injecting poison through a bite, sting, or other mechanism.
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Linguistic Origins & Word Stories
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