A surgical stitch material made from a portion of the small intestines of healthy ruminants; such as, cattle, sheep, or goats: The catgut suture can be sterilized and eventually, it is absorbed by body fluids.

Although the name implies the usage of the "guts of cats", there is no record of feline entrails being used for this purpose.

Another possible explanation for the name catgut suture is the combination of the words "cattle" and "gut".