definitions

kitten

[ kit-n ]
/ ˈkɪt n /
|
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR kitten ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a young cat.

verb (used with or without object)

(of cats) to give birth; bear.

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RELATED WORDS

kitty, puss, kit, pussycat, pussy

Nearby words

kitsch, kitschness, kitset, kitt peak national observatory, kittel, kitten, kitten heel, kitten moth, kittenish, kittie, kittikachorn

Origin of kitten

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

Related forms

kit·ten·like, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for kitten

British Dictionary definitions for kitten

kitten

/ (ˈkɪtən) /

noun

a young cat
have kittens or have a canary British informal to react with disapproval, anxiety, etcshe had kittens when she got the bill US equivalent: have a cow

verb

(of cats) to give birth to (young)

Derived Forms

kitten-like, adjective

Word Origin for kitten

C14: from Old Northern French caton, from cat 1; probably influenced by Middle English kiteling
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Idioms and Phrases with kitten

kitten

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

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.