Brewer's: Tybalt

A Capulet; a “fiery” young noble. (Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet.) It is the name given to the cat in the story of Reynard the Fox. Hence Mercutio says, “Tybalt, you rat-catcher, will you walk?” (iii. 1); and again, when Tybalt asks, “What wouldst thou have with me?”

Mercutio answers, “Good king of cats! nothing but one of your nine lives” (iii. 1).

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language