also: きゅうせい
noun
nine lives (of a cat)
Refers to the folk belief that cats have nine lives; often used in the set phrase 猫に九生あり (a cat has nine lives).
猫に九生ありと言われる。
It is said that a cat has nine lives.
九生を持つ猫のように、彼は何度も危険を乗り越えた。
Like a cat with nine lives, he survived danger many times.
From 九 (nine) + 生 (life). The expression is based on the Western folk belief that cats have nine lives, adopted into Japanese.