kitten en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
From Middle English kitoun, kytton, kyton, keton (“kitten”), of obscure origin. Seemingly from, and usually explained as being from, unattested Anglo-Norman *kitoun, *ketun (compare Old French chitoun, cheton, chaton (“kitten”), diminutive of cat, chat (“cat”)); whence Modern French chaton (“kitten”). Similar words of Germanic origin may have reinforced this word; compare English kitling (“kit, kitten”), Low German Kitten (“kitten”), Icelandic kettlingur (“kitten”), Middle English chitte ("whelp, pup", see chit). The idea that kitoun, rather than being of Anglo-Norman origin, was in fact a purely Germanic derivation from one of these words is etymologically problematic, but cannot be definitively ruled out.
Meanings
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A young cat, especially before sexual maturity (reached at about seven months).
It was supposed to have happened thus: the cat had young kittens, and frequently carried them mice, and other animals its prey, and among the rest a young rat: the kittens, not being hungry, played with it, and when the cat came to give suck to the kittens, the rat likewise sucked her.
1752 January, The London Magazine, and Monthly Chronologer, page 243&244:Jailing her on Wednesday, magistrate Liz Clyne told Robins: "You have shown little remorse either for the death of the kitten or the trauma to your former friend Sarah Knutton." She was also banned from keeping animals for 10 years.
2011 December 14, Steven Morris, “Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave”, in Guardian:To the sounds, however, I paid no attention at first as I was much interested in the subject upon which I was writing; but at length my som Richard burst into my study, exclaiming that the kitten had climbed up to the top of a young ash tree, and could not get down again.
1844, The Kitten, the Religious Tract Society, page 1 & 2:
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A young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, beaver, badger, etc.
2009, Kathryn Walker, See How Rabbits Grow, publ. by PowerKiDS press (The Rosen Publishing Group Inc.), page 10. Rabbit babies are called kittens or kits. The mother prepares a cosy nest for her kittens.
The first move at beaver raising in North Dakota had its starting in the fall of 1874, when a kitten beaver was taken out of Mandan Lake by the writer and given to a little Indian girl who then lived with her guardians at Pretty Point near the present village of Sanger, Oliver county.
1906, Joseph Henry Taylor, Beavers, Their Ways, and Other Sketches, page 49:
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A moth of the genus Furcula.
Two of these formed cocoons in a manner I have not seen before. They were supplied when full-grown with plenty of rotten willow wood, which I have always found a most suitable material for insects using bark or old wood in forming cocoons such as the kittens, Apatele alni, etc., and most made the usual cycle of cocoons on it.
1959, Odonata reprints: J. G. Needham collection, volume 3, page 657:
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(colloquial) A term of endearment, especially for a woman.
Speak only when spoken to, kitten.
1995, Duckman, "America the Beautiful" (season 2, episode 5)
- (broadly, colloquial) A term of endearment, especially for a woman. ▸ A girlfriend.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| kittens | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
e-kitten · sex kitten · kitten-hearted · werekitten · kittenhood · Schrödinger's kitten · kittenish · kit · have kittens · Schroedinger's kitten · kittenship · kitten heel · dust kitten · Pallas' kitten · Discord kitten · kittenlike · Schroedinger kitten · safe as a kitten · kittenfishing · kitty · kitten mill · bobkitten · kitten factory · Schrödinger kitten · Schrodinger kitten · kittenball · sallow kitten · squitten · kitteny · safe as a kitten in a box · kitten farm · safe as a kitten in a basket · smitten kitten · kittendom · kittenness · kittenless · Schrodinger's kitten · playful as a kitten · cat and kitten sneaking
Synonyms
kitty (young cat) · catling (young cat) · kitty cat (young cat) · kit (young cat) · kitling (young cat)
Translations (198)
vo hilüstridül (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · mk зајче (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · af katjies (a young cat) · fr renardeau (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · ru бельчо́нок (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · mt mejxu (a young cat) · yi קאָטינקע (a term of endearment) · ltg kačāns (a young cat) · sv kattunge (a young cat) · ca gatet (a young cat) · br kazhig (a young cat) · nl lamprei (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · mic gajue'wji'j (a young cat) · cs kotě (a young cat) · de junges Eichhörnchen (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · hu kiscica (a young cat) · hu kismacska (a young cat) · hy կատվաձագ (a young cat) · th ลูกแมว (a young cat) · fr chaton (a young cat) · sk kocúrik (a young cat) · de Igelbaby (hedgehog) (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · gv pishin (a young cat) · mi punua ngeru (a young cat) · mk јазовче (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · fr chaton (a term of endearment) · mt ferħa (a young cat) · ru зайчо́нок (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · vo katül (a young cat) · it micetto (a young cat) · tr kedicik (a young cat) · ar قُطَيْطَة (a young cat) · ang maybe *cathwelp (a young cat) · hi बिलौटा (a young cat) · it gattina (a young cat) · he חֲתַלְתּוּל (a young cat) · vo hiyatül (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · sh mȁče (a young cat) · ca moixeta (a young cat) · km កូនឆ្មា (a young cat) · de Katzerl (a young cat) · ru котёнок (a young cat) · ga piscín (a young cat) · eu katakume (a young cat) · cy cathan (a young cat) · ar قُطَيْط (a young cat) · yi קעצעלע (a term of endearment) · vo hiratül (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · ug ئاسلان (a young cat) · pam muning (a young cat) · da killing (a young cat) · krl kikki (a young cat) · cmn 小貓 /小猫 (a young cat) · sq kotele (a young cat) · fr blaireautin (badger) (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · gd piseag (a young cat) · bg ко́те (a young cat) · vo dafül (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · vi miu con (a young cat) · az mavrı (a young cat) · bn বিড়ালছানা (a young cat) · sk zajačik (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · vo hikatül (a young cat) · vo jidafül (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · vo jiyatül (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · es minino (a young cat) · nl kitten (a young cat) · hy կատվի ձագ (a young cat) · gd isean (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · mt mejxa (a young cat) · lt kačiukas (a young cat) · sl mucek (a young cat) · ms anak kucing (a young cat) · lb Kätzchen (a young cat) · ar هُرَيْرَة (a young cat) · eo katido (a young cat) · pam kuting (a young cat) · mt ferħ (a young cat) · sl mucka (a young cat) · su bilatung (a young cat) · ko 나비 자묘 아깽이 (a young cat) · vo jikroligül (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · gv pishanagh (a young cat) · de Dachsjunges (badger) (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · moe minushiss (a young cat) · it micetta (a young cat) · sv källing (a young cat) · bg ко́тенце (a young cat) · kk марғау (a young cat) · sa बिदालिका (a young cat) · ro pisicuță (a young cat) · de Rattenjunges (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · ka კნუტი (a young cat) · mk еже (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · vo hikroligül (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · de Katzenbaby (a young cat) · fr hérissonneau (hedgehog) (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · de Kätzli (a young cat) · ru крысёнок (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · vo jikatül (a young cat) · rsk маче (a young cat) · vi mèo con (a young cat) · cy cath fach (a young cat) · pt gatinho (a young cat) · de Kaninchenjunges (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · sk mačička (a young cat) · et kassipoeg (a young cat) · hu cica (a young cat) · fr raton (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · ja 子猫 (a young cat) · stq Kitse (a young cat) · tr göcen (a young cat) · kw kathik (a young cat) · tr enik (a young cat) · lv kaķēns (a young cat) · ta பூனைக்குட்டி (a young cat) · rsk цица (a young cat) · sk zajko (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · kk безек (a young cat) · az bala pişik (a young cat) · es gatita (a young cat) · ar هُرَيْر (a young cat) · hu cica (a term of endearment) · nv mósí yázhí (a young cat) · de Fuchsjunges (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · ro pisoi (a young cat) · ru ежо́нок (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · pt gatinha (a young cat) · af katjie (a young cat) · fr lapereau (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · de Kätzchen (a young cat) · ru крольчо́нок (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · ca gateta (a young cat) · eo virkatido (a young cat) · ang as no term is attested (a young cat) · ro pisic (a young cat) · el γατάκι (a young cat) · mk вервериче (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · nl poesje (a young cat) · vo jilüstridül (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · is kettlingur (a young cat) · ru лисёнок (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · sk mača (a young cat) · hu kölyök (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · es gatito (a young cat) · de Katzenwelpe (a young cat) · pl kotek (a young cat) · ca moixet (a young cat) · uk кошеня́ (a young cat) · de Kätzlein (a young cat) · vo yatül (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · vo lüstridül (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · rsk мачичка (a young cat) · ga puisín (a young cat) · vo jirenarül (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · mk маче (a young cat) · it gattino (a young cat) · be кацянё (a young cat) · vi miu (a young cat) · ru барсучо́нок (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · mk стаорче (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · la catulus felis (a young cat) · nrf caton (a young cat) · sk mačiatko (a young cat) · vo jiratül (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · sh ма̏че (a young cat) · yi קעצל (a young cat) · vo hidafül (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · ang unknown (a young cat) · my ကြောင်ကလေး (a young cat) · vo hirenarül (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · war kuying (a young cat) · ia catton (a young cat) · fi kissanpentu (a young cat) · ttj akajangu class 12 (a young cat) · pl kocię (a young cat) · sw mtoto wa paka (a young cat) · be кацяня́ (a young cat) · de Luchsjunges (lynx) (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · pa ਬਲੂੰਗੜਾ (a young cat) · pa ਬਲੂੰਗਾ (a young cat) · ka ცინდალი (a young cat) · tr kunu (a young cat) · vo renarül (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · de Katzenjunges (a young cat) · no kattunge (a young cat) · nl katje (a young cat) · de Igeljunges (hedgehog) (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · ltg kačalāns (a young cat) · mic gajuewji'j (a young cat) · pl kociak (a young cat) · tl kuting (a young cat) · vo kroligül (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · vo ratül (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · rsk мачатко (a young cat) · hy կատվիկ (a young cat) · mk лисиче (a young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, badger, etc.) · eo katidino (a young cat)