'cat's-foot' originates from English, a compound of 'cat' + 'foot' used to describe something resembling the foot of a cat.

'cat's-foot' changed from Middle English forms such as 'catsfot' (a literal compound of 'cat' + 'fot') and eventually became the modern English hyphenated form 'cat's-foot'.

Initially, it meant 'the foot of a cat' (literal). Over time it was applied metaphorically to plants whose flowers resemble a cat's paw, giving the botanical sense.