Cathay

/kæˈθeɪ/name
Middle School
1

China, specifically medieval northern China as reached by the overland Silk Road to Xi'an or Beijing, not known at the time to be related to southern China as reached by the maritime routes to Guangzhou.

2

A settlement in North Dakota.

3

Ellipsis of Cathay Pacific.

Sound Patterns & Rhymes

Rhymes

Words that share the same ending sound pattern

Alliteration

Words starting with the same consonant sound — used in poetry and prose to create rhythm, emphasis, and memorable phrasing (e.g. “Peter Piper picked”)

Assonance

Words sharing similar vowel sounds regardless of starting letter — creates internal melody in writing

Consonance

Words sharing similar consonant sound patterns — adds texture and cohesion to writing

#archaic