English Explanatory Dictionary

kitten

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun

A young cat, especially before sexual maturity (reached at about seven months).
A young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, beaver, badger, etc.
A moth of the genus Furcula.
A term of endearment, especially for a woman.
A girlfriend.

verb

To give birth to kittens.

Pronunciation

/ˈkɪt.n̩/ En-uk-kitten.ogg [kʰɪʔ.n̩] en-us-kitten.ogg

Word forms

kitten kittens kittening kittened

Etymology

From Middle English kitoun, kytton, kyton, keton (“kitten”), of obscure origin. Seemingly from, and usually explained as being from, unattested Anglo-Norman *kitoun, *ketun (compare Old French chitoun, cheton, chaton (“kitten”), diminutive of cat, chat (“cat”)); whence Modern French chaton (“kitten”). Similar words of Germanic origin may have reinforced this word; compare English kitling (“kit, kitten”), Low German Kitten (“kitten”), Icelandic kettlingur (“kitten”), Middle English chitte ("whelp, pup", see chit). The idea that kitoun, rather than being of Anglo-Norman origin, was in fact a purely Germanic derivation from one of these words is etymologically problematic, but cannot be definitively ruled out.

Synonyms

Derived words

bobkitten cat and kitten sneaking Discord kitten dust kitten e-kitten have kittens kit kittenball kittendom kitten factory kitten farm kitten-hearted kitten heel kittenhood kittenish kittenless kittenlike kitten mill kittenness kittenship kitteny kitty Pallas' kitten playful as a kitten safe as a kitten safe as a kitten in a basket safe as a kitten in a box sallow kitten Schrodinger kitten Schrödinger kitten Schrodinger's kitten Schrödinger's kitten Schroedinger kitten Schroedinger's kitten sex kitten smitten kitten squitten werekitten

Translations

French: chaton Hungarian: cica Yiddish: קעצעלע Yiddish: קאָטינקע

This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.

Back to search All on K Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary