different between catcall vs catfall

English

Etymology 1

cat +? call

Alternative forms

• cat-call (dated)

Noun

catcall (plural catcalls)

1. A shout or whistle expressing dislike, especially from a crowd or audience; a jeer, a boo.
2. A shout, whistle, or comment of a sexual nature, usually made toward a passing woman.
3. (historical) A whistle blown by a theatre-goer to express disapproval.
   • 1823, The Drama, Or, Theatrical Pocket Magazine (page 289)

     At what period was the custom of blowing catcalls at the theatre discontinued?

Translations

Verb

catcall (third-person singular simple present catcalls, present participle catcalling, simple past and past participle catcalled)

1. To make such an exclamation.

Translations

Etymology 2

Short for change availability or type + call.

Noun

catcall (plural catcalls)

1. (programming) In the Eiffel programming language, a run-time error caused by use of the wrong data type.
   • 1999, Ian Joyner, Objects Unencapsulated: Java, Eiffel, and C++? (page 244)

     Java does not let you make members more private than they are in parent classes, so has no catcall problem for changing availability. Thus to avoid catcalls with export problems, you should adopt a once-public, always-public policy.

English

Etymology

cat +? fall?

Noun

catfall (plural catfalls)

1. (nautical) A rope used in hoisting the anchor to the cathead.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Totten to this entry?)