kitten

Etymology

From Middle English kitoun, kiton, kyton (“kitten”), diminutive of cat (“cat”), equivalent to cat +‎ -en. The first element is probably from Middle English kiteling (“kitten, kit”), Old Norse ketlingr (“kitten”), or possibly Anglo-Norman *kiton or Old French chiton, diminutive of cat, chat (“cat”), from Late Latin cattus. Compare Low German kitten (“kitten”). More at kitling, cat, and -en.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈkɪtən/

• Audio (RP)

  (file)

• (General American) IPA^(key): [ˈkɪ.ʔn̩]

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪtən
• Hyphenation: kit‧ten

Noun

kitten (plural kittens)

1. A young cat, especially before sexual maturity (reached at about seven months).
   • 2011 December 14, Steven Morris, “Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave”, in Guardian‎:

     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.

2. A young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, beaver, badger, etc.

Verb

kitten (third-person singular simple present kittens, present participle kittening, simple past and past participle kittened)

1. To give birth to kittens.
   • 2016, Kerry Greenwood, Murder and Mendelssohn, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, page 319:

     `Princess the Lady Regina of Alphington is about to kitten. I must be there to support her.'

Further reading

• kitten on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Kittens on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English kitten.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɪtən/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪtən
• Hyphenation: kit‧ten

Etymology 2

From kit (“sealant”).

Etymology 3