The usual ancient Greek word for "cat" was ailouros, meaning "thing with the waving tail", but this word could also be applied to any of the "various long-tailed carnivores kept for catching mice".
A palabra en grego antigo habitual para "gato" era ailouros, que significa "cousa coa cola ondeante", malia que esta palabra tamén se podía aplicar a calquera dos "varios carnívoros de longa cola que mantiñan para cazar ratos".