Catfight

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A physical fight between two women, typically involving scratching and pulling hair ; a bitter or spiteful argument, often between rivals
2. A brawl between women marked by clawing and hair-pulling ; a vicious squabble or petty quarrel between people who dislike each other
3. An scrappy, often undignified struggle between two women with scratching and tugging ; a spiteful verbal or personal dispute between rivals

Etymology: "Catfight" is a plain compound of "cat" and "fight," and its sense is built on a comparison: a scrap between women is imagined as cat-like because scratching is their characteristic defensive tactic, where a fistfight is the typical contest between men. The image of claws, not fists, does the work of the name. The word is used as both a noun and a verb, so a catfight can be a brawl itself or something two women might be described as having. Its meaning is narrow: it refers specifically to a clawing, scratching fracas between women, and the comparison to cats carries the gendered assumption in the name.

Synonyms: brawl, scrap, tussle