kitten

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.

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

• Audio (RP)

  (file)

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

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪtən
• Hyphenation: kit‧ten

kitten (plural kittens)

1. A young cat, especially before sexual maturity (reached at about seven months).
2. A young rabbit, rat, hedgehog, squirrel, fox, beaver, badger, etc.

• (young cat): kitty, kitty cat

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.'

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

Borrowed from English kitten.

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɪtən/

• Audio

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɪtən
• Hyphenation: kit‧ten

kitten m (plural kittens, diminutive kittentje n)

1. a young cat; kitten

• (young cat): kattenjong

From kit (“sealant”).

kitten

1. to apply sealant to

• afkitten
• dichtkitten

kitten

1. Plural form of kit

Kitt +‎ -en

• IPA^(key): [ˈkɪtn̩]
• Hyphenation: kit‧ten

• Audio

  (file)

kitten (third-person singular simple present kittet, past tense kittete, past participle gekittet, auxiliary haben)

1. to putty, to cement

• kitten in Duden online