Catgut is a tough cord made from the intestines of certain animals and used mainly for the strings of musical instruments and for sewing up wounds. Most catgut is made from the intestines of hogs or sheep. The intestine casings are split into ribbons that are cleaned, cured, and spun into string. The string is dried and polished. Catgut is also used on looms, in the controls of artificial limbs, and in the mechanisms of clocks and typewriters. Catgut was once used to string tennis and badminton rackets but has been largely replaced by nylon and other synthetic materials. Despite its name, catgut probably was never made from cat intestines. The cat portion of the word catgut may come from the word kit, an old term for a small violin.
