kitten

CEFRA2

/ˈkɪtən̩/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A young cat.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A moth of the genus Furcula.

Examples

  • Reporter: Did you buy her a kitten?

  • The tiger cub looked like a large kitten.

At a glance

Sits at A2 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
5
Synonyms
3

Also pronounced

  • [kʰɪtn̩]
  • [kʰɪʔn̩]

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

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

  2. A young cat, especially before sexual maturity (reached at about seven months).

  3. A term of endearment, especially for a woman.

More examples

In context

  • Did she hurt that kitten?

  • Speak only when spoken to, kitten.

  • A cat about to kitten, must not be spoken of by its name, but called a witch. (Madagascar.)

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The mother cat gently carried her tiny blank in her mouth to a safe spot.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

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 defini...