kitten

1 of 2

noun

kit·​ten ˈki-tᵊn 

: a young cat

also : an immature or young individual of various other small mammals

kitten

2 of 2

verb

kittened; kittening

ˈkit-niŋ, 

ˈki-tᵊn-iŋ 

intransitive verb

: to give birth to kittens

Examples of kitten in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Moving the two cats and six kittens from the lumberyard through the TNR process required the work of at least seven volunteers and the total minimum cost of spaying/neutering will be between $800 and $1,200. — Adam Tschorn, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

After visiting a neighbor who was fostering kittens, the little girl would bring one home, hoping to keep it despite her dad’s allergy. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 3 Sep. 2026

Earlier this year, the kitten was discovered in the wild and closely monitored by biologists with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as part of panther conservation efforts. — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 27 Aug. 2026

Tiffany Haddish Jordan Peele and Keegan-Michael Key’s 2016 action comedy Keanu centers on the duo trying to save the eponymous kitten, played by seven identical rescue cats. — Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English kitoun, from Anglo-French *kiton, chiton, diminutive of cat, chat cat, from Late Latin cattus

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing kitten

• foster dog/cat/puppy/kitten
• kitten heel
• sex kitten

Rhymes for kitten

• bitten
• briton
• chiton
• gittin
• mitten
• smitten
• whitten
• written
• handwritten
• honiton
• rewritten
• typewritten

Kids Definition

kitten

noun

kit·​ten

ˈkit-ᵊn

: a young cat

also : a young individual of various other small mammals