Meaning & use
catsuit
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Meanings
nouncountable
A one-piece garment that fits tightly over the whole body, from the neck to the ankles, often with long sleeves.
Grammar: Countable: a black catsuit, two catsuits.
Patterns
- wear a catsuit
- a catsuit made of something
She turned up to the party in a shiny black catsuit.
The stunt performer zipped up her catsuit before the scene.
He wore a purple velvet catsuit on stage.
nouncountableinformal
A costume made to look like a cat, usually with ears and a tail.
Grammar: Countable, used mostly for costumes: a child's catsuit.
Patterns
- dress in a catsuit
My daughter wore a grey catsuit with a long tail for Halloween.
The dancers appeared in furry catsuits for the musical number.
Word forms
| plural | catsuits |
|---|
Common combinations
- black catsuit
- A black catsuit is a classic outfit for a spy character.
- skin-tight catsuit
- The singer's skin-tight catsuit sparkled under the lights.
- leather catsuit
- She rode her motorbike in a leather catsuit.
- zip up a catsuit
- He helped her zip up her catsuit at the back.
- wear a catsuit
- Few people can wear a catsuit with confidence.
Synonyms and how they differ
- jumpsuit
- A jumpsuit is looser and usually has a more practical, casual look, while a catsuit is tight-fitting and often glamorous.
- bodysuit
- A bodysuit covers only the torso, like a one-piece top, whereas a catsuit also covers the legs.
- leotard
- A leotard is mostly worn for dance or gymnastics and has no full-length legs, unlike a catsuit.
Word family
Commonly confused: catsuit or jumpsuit?
catsuit vs jumpsuit
People often use the two words as if they were identical, but a jumpsuit is usually baggier and more practical, while a catsuit clings to the body.
Practice
A catsuit is best described as which of these?
Choose one answer.
A catsuit is a tight one-piece garment covering body and legs. A raincoat is a different garment, and the other options are not clothing for people at all.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “catsuit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.