"changing in luster or color," like a cat's eye in the dark, 1816, from French chatoyant, past participle of chatoyer, from chat "cat" (see cat (n.)).
chatoyant (or shot) silk
chasuble
chat
chateau
Chateaubriand
chatelaine
chatoyant
Chattahoochee
Chattanooga
chattel
chatter
chatterbox