English

Etymology

Pronunciation

• /keɪt/

Noun

1. A delicacy or item of food.
   • 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Folio Society 2006, vol. 1 p. 101:

     Have we not heard of divers most fertile regions, plenteously yeelding al maner of necessary victuals, where neverthelesse the most ordinary cates [tr. méz] and daintiest dishes, were but bread, water-cresses, and water?

   • 1985, Anthony Burgess, Kingdom of the Wicked:

     He did not at first produce the cates and vintages they expected; they looked, most of them, puzzled at the lack of materials of revelry.

Usage notes

• Usually used in the plural form "cates"

• Cate Renkas (born 1964), Breast Cancer Survivor and Motivational Speaker for Self Affirmation through Crisis

• Cate Blanchett (born 1969), Academy Award- and Golden Globe Award-winning Australian actress
• Cate Shortland (born 1968), Australian writer and director of film and television
• Keith Cate, main anchor for WFLA-TV in Tampa Bay, Florida since 2000

• Cate Sweeney, English author and playwright
• Cate Tiernan (born 1961), American writer
• Curtis Cate, American writer

• Cate Edwards (born 1982), the oldest daughter of John Edwards
• Cate School, four-year, coeducational, college-preparatory boarding school outside Santa Barbara
• George W. Cate (1825-1905), American politician
• James L. Cate, Air Force intelligence official and part of the Air Force Historical Division during World War II
• Troy Cate (born 1980), American baseball player
• Henk ten Cate (born 1954), is a Dutch football manager, and a former professional player