kitten

[kit-n]

noun

1. a young cat.

verb (used with or without object)

1. (of cats) to give birth; bear.

kitten

/ ˈkɪtən /

noun

1. a young cat

2. US equivalent: have a cow. informal,  to react with disapproval, anxiety, etc

   she had kittens when she got the bill

verb

1. (of cats) to give birth to (young)

Other Word Forms

• kitten-like adjective
• kittenlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of kitten¹

1350–1400; Middle English kitoun, apparently blend of kiteling kitling and Middle French chitoun, variant of chaton kitten

Word History and Origins

Origin of kitten¹

C14: from Old Northern French caton, from _cat ¹ ; probably influenced by Middle English kiteling

Idioms and Phrases

see have a fit (kittens); weak as a kitten.

Example Sentences

Just a couple of phone calls and there they were, kittens for everyone’s enjoyment.

From Salon

Genovese allegedly stole two kittens from the same shelter on Jan. 15 that are still missing.

From Los Angeles Times

She added: "It seems you chose the kittens because they have emotion and you would have power over them."

From BBC

An international network that shares online videos of cats and kittens being tortured has members in the UK, the BBC has found.

From BBC

The proposed law would give the government power to stop the import of puppies and kittens that are under six months old.

From BBC

Related Words

• kitty