cat-o'-nine-tails

noun

1. 九尾鞭（用九条带结的细绳编成，旧时鞭打囚犯用）
   a whip made of nine strings with knots in them, that was used to punish prisoners in the past

1. In the chimney-corner a cat-o '-nine-tails was hanging on a nail.
   壁炉角上，挂着一根皮鞭。

noun

1. a whip with nine knotted cords
   1. British sailors feared the cat

   Synonym:    cat