A short rope or line used on a ship, especially one used in nautical rigging or securing cargo.
From cat + line, likely referring to small ropes that are nimble and quick to use, much like a cat's movements. Common in maritime terminology from the 1600s onward.
Sailors had imaginative names for ropes—calling small ones 'catlines' because they were quick and agile to handle, the way cats move. It's one of many nautical terms that use animal names to describe the personality or behavior of equipment.
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