mitten

American  

[mit-n] / ˈmɪt n /

noun

1. a hand covering enclosing the four fingers together and the thumb separately.

2. mitt.

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mitten British  

/ ˈmɪtən /

noun

1. Sometimes shortened to: mitt.  a glove having one section for the thumb and a single section for the other fingers

2. slang a boxing glove

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Other Word Forms

• mittenlike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of mitten

1350–1400; Middle English miteyn < Middle French, Old French mitaine, equivalent to mite mitten (< ?) + -aine -an

Explanation

A mitten is a cold-weather piece of clothing that you wear on your hand. Unlike gloves, which cover each finger individually, mittens cover your four fingers together, and your thumb separately. Mittens keep your hands warmer than gloves, because your fingers share their warmth and expose less surface area to the cold. Small children often wear mittens — they're easier to put on than gloves are, and it's common for them to be attached to each other with yarn that can be threaded through the arms of a coat, or clipped onto a coat's sleeves. The word mitten comes from medietana, "divided in the middle" in Vulgar Latin.

Example Sentences

Ms Neas said she had been relieved to be finally reunited with Mitten.

From BBC • Jan. 22, 2025

Takakia was discovered in the Himalayas by scientist William Mitten in the early 1860s — but he wasn’t immediately sure what it was.

From Scientific American • Aug. 10, 2023

She operated out of a series of rental kitchens until opening the retail bakery Mitten Sweets & Coffee, near Seattle University, last fall.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 25, 2023

There was a lot riding in the Mitten.

From Slate • Nov. 9, 2022

Miss Mitten complained to Baby Kochamma about Estha’s rudeness, and about their reading backwards.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy

Related Words

• mitt