kitten
Americannoun
verb (used with or without object)
noun
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a young cat
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US equivalent: have a cow. informal to react with disapproval, anxiety, etc
she had kittens when she got the bill
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of kitten
1350–1400; Middle English kitoun, apparently blend of kiteling kitling and Middle French chitoun, variant of chaton kitten
Explanation
A kitten is a baby cat. There is nothing more adorable then a bunch of fuzzy little kittens playing together. While there are a few other animals whose young are called kittens, like beavers, rabbits, and rats, the word most commonly describes a baby cat. Kittens are dependent on their mothers for food and protection until they are around six to eight weeks old, when they're still adorable but also able to eat solid food. Kitten comes from the Middle English kitoun, which is rooted in the Old French chitoun, or "little cat."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One thing that happened was a new Rainbow Kitten Surprise album: “Bones,” which the band said Wednesday will come out Sept. 26 from Atlantic Records.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 6, 2025
Liverpool has had a huge influence on music, producing acts including The Beatles, The Wombats, The Zutons and Atomic Kitten.
From BBC • Mar. 10, 2025
Hannah Shaw, an animal advocate known as "Kitten Lady," attends an event in Rayburn Building on bipartisan legislation to end the Department of Agriculture's scientific testing on kittens on June 7, 2018.
From Salon • Dec. 6, 2024
I work with a place called Kitten Rescue Los Angeles that has a home base in Atwater Village.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 19, 2024
Kitten Fig’s paw swiped under the sofa, but he couldn’t reach it.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
