1. A game for children in which the players form a circle and join hands; they raise their hands to let a player inside the circle or lower their hands to bar a second player who is chasing the first
   "The schoolyard echoed with laughter as the children played cat and mouse";
   - cat and rat
    
2. A situation where one party teases or torments another by alternately threatening and allowing escape
   "The detective played cat and mouse with the suspect during the interrogation"

Type of: child's game

Encyclopedia: Cat and mouse