cat's whiskers

noun

informal + old-fashioned

: a highly admired or exceptionally excellent person or thing

… he was the cat's whiskers, a business wunderkind, becoming chairman of a Fortune 100 company at the age of 38 on merit, not inheritance.

—Allan Sloan, Newsweek, 21 July 1997

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!