kitten
Americannoun
-
kittens
plural
verb (used with or without object)
noun
-
a young cat
-
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
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
See Examples For:
A beaming Vickye Giraldo holds her rescued kitten tight against her chest outside her ruined home in quake-hit Cali, Colombia.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
In the morning, as we ate vegan doughnuts and watched cat cartoons, kitten Asher plopped onto my lap and purred loudly.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
The most stylish way to wear them this summer is with a kitten heel, according to fashion expert and trend forecaster Angela Baidoo.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
“I called Delta and my staff went and got me a carrier, and I brought this kitten home,” she said of the gray tabby the couple named Tex.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
I fell back into the couch, my eyes focused on the TV and a kitten Fig swatting at a jingling ball.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
Animal Services, said much of the increase was fueled by an influx of kittens into the system.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
The outfit partners with Kitten Rescue Los Angeles, a nonprofit that rescues and adopts out homeless cats and kittens.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
The Kobe kittens weighed around 150 grams when they were born but now weigh more than one kilo and are starting to eat solid food like chicken and horse meat, the zoo said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
During the study period, cameras captured images of a mother mountain lion accompanied by kittens.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 28, 2026
“George Washington! If you touch one more box, I’m giving your dinner to the nice kittens living in the backyard!”
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
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.
