kitten
/ˈkɪt(ə)n
/noun
1A young cat.Please think about adopting an adult cat rather than a kitten, because a kitten is always assured of a home!...
- In the corner a tabby cat is curled round a nest of her kittens.
- I have nine cats, three of them kittens, and they all sleep with me at night.
1.1The young of several other animals, such as the rabbit and beaver.The mesh that protects the reserve is three centimetres in diameter, which is small enough to keep even rabbit kittens out....
- While the mother Cougar will look after her kittens for up to eighteen months, they are solitary animals and only come together to mate.
- Usually lynx roam a mile or two a day, but when the females prepare to have kittens, they zero in on a small area as they choose a den, aiming to hole up for a while.
2A stout furry grey and white moth, the caterpillar of which resembles that of the puss moth.
- Genus Furcula, family Notodontidae.
verb [no object]
(Of a cat or certain other animals) give birth.However, many cats are contrary and may choose the most inconvenient places to kitten in, such as your bed....
- Supply several large cardboard boxes well lined with newspaper for her to kitten in.
Phrases
have kittens
Origin
Late Middle English kitoun, ketoun, from an Anglo-Norman French variant of Old French chitoun, diminutive of chat 'cat'.