kitten

/'kitn/

Thân thiện

A small kitten plays with a ball of yarn.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A young domestic cat, especially one that is not yet fully grown or independent.
   • (Informal, sometimes affectionate) A lively, playful, or sometimes petulant young woman.

2. Verb:

   • (Of a female cat) To give birth to kittens.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The mother cat carefully carried her tiny kitten by the scruff of its neck.
  • She's a sweet girl, but she can be a real kitten when she doesn't get her way.

• Verb:

  • Our tabby kittened last night; she had four healthy babies.

Advanced Usage

• "to have kittens" (Idiom, informal): To be extremely worried, anxious, or upset.
  • My mother will have kittens if she finds out I crashed the car.

Variants and Related Words

• Kittenish (adj): Playfully lively or flirtatious, often in a coy way.
  • She gave him a kittenish smile.

Synonyms

• Noun: Catling, kitty (informal), pussycat (informal).
• Verb: Give birth (for cats), litter.

Related Phrases

• "weak as a kitten": Extremely weak or lacking in strength.
  • After being sick for a week, I felt weak as a kitten.

Related Idioms

• "sex kitten" (Informal): A woman perceived as being very sexually attractive and provocative.
  • The actress was often typecast as a sex kitten in her early films.

Học thuật

Noun

1. young domestic cat

Verb

1. have kittens
   • our cat kittened again this year

Từ đồng nghĩa

• kitty