What does "kitty" mean?
A young cat; a kitten.
Kitty
/ˈkɪti/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A young cat; a kitten.
- Grammar: kitty is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: kitten, pool, pot, alley cat.
- Useful contrasts: adult cat, insult, mature cat.
- Usage evidence: Only the blackest of hearts could leave that poor kitty out on the street in the cold.
How to use "kitty"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "kitty" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "kitty" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "kitty" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "kitty" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "kitty" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "kitten" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "kitty", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A young cat; a kitten. informal
"He said there was a beast with fangs in the alley, but it turned out to be a cute little kitty."
- 2 Synonym of jack (“a small, typically white, ball used as the target ball in bowls”).
- 3 A jail, a prison; also, a lockup. Northern-England, slang
"Besides we had a nice tollbooth, / To pull'd down was a pity, / And in its stead we've got—forsooth— / A vile pernicious kitty. / […] / Like convicts in a condemn'd cell, / They're fed on bread and water; / 'Midst winter's cold and putrid smell, / Thus tort'ring human nature."
- 4 In full kitty-wren: synonym of wren (“any bird of the family Troglodytidae; specifically the Eurasian wren (Troglodytes troglodytes)”). UK, dialectal
"[T]he male wrens (Troglodytes) of North America, build "cock-nests," to roost in, like the males of our distinct Kitty-wrens,—a habit wholly unlike that of any other known bird."
- 5 Synonym of kittiwake (“either of two small gulls in the genus Rissa of the family Laridae; specifically (Ireland, UK), the black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)”). UK, archaic, dialectal
"In the parish of Gaurie three curiosities upon the coast are exhibited to travellers: 1st, A perpendicular rock, of very great extent, full of shelves, and possessed by thousands of birds called kittywakes. […] Some people are fond of eating the young kitties; but the shooting of them is a favourite diversion every year."
Show 9 more definitions
- 6 informal terms referring to a domestic cat wordnet
- 7 An adult cat; also (often childish), sometimes in the form Kitty: a pet name for a cat of any age. broadly, informal
"Here, kitty kitty! Nice kitty!"
- 8 A pool of money to which card players contribute a portion of their winnings, which is used for paying shared expenses such as the cost of the premises or refreshments; (by extension) any pool of money to which people contribute for shared expenses or other joint purposes; also, any fund of liquid assets set aside for future use. especially, slang
"Your business is busted up, your thousand dollars is gone into the kitty of this corrupt country on that last bluff you made, […]"
- 9 young domestic cat wordnet
- 10 Synonym of pussy (“vulva and/or vagina”). euphemistic, slang
"Looking at Lynn's naked body one last time, Mia decided to try something else. She waited for Lynn to bend down to grab her underwear and then came up behind her and began licking her kitty with long, wet strokes."
- 11 Synonym of pot (“a quantity of money available to be won in a round or a game”). especially, slang
- 12 the cumulative amount involved in a game (such as poker) wordnet
- 13 Synonym of widow (“an additional hand of playing cards dealt face-down in some card games, to be used by the highest bidder”). especially, slang
- 14 the combined stakes of the betters wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A diminutive of the female given name Katherine or related names.
- 2 A generic given name for a cat.
Antonyms
Example
"Only the blackest of hearts could leave that poor kitty out on the street in the cold."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "kitty"?
Common synonyms include: kitten, pool, pot, alley cat, assets, balance.
How do you use "kitty" in a sentence?
Only the blackest of hearts could leave that poor kitty out on the street in the cold.
How do you pronounce "kitty"?
Pronounced /ˈkɪti/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From kitt(en) + -y (diminutive suffix). Compare Dutch katje (“kitty”). Etymology 1 sense 2 (“vulva and/or vagina”) is probably modelled after the use of pussy to refer to the body part, from the appearance of an unshaven vulva.
Etymology 2
Origin uncertain; etymology 2 sense 2 (relating to card games) is possibly from kit (“collection of items”) + -y (diminutive suffix).
Etymology 3
Origin uncertain, possibly a clipping of kid(cote) (“lockup, prison”) (UK, dialectal, obsolete) + -y (diminutive suffix).
Etymology 4
From Kitty (“diminutive of the female given name Katherine”).
Etymology 5
Clipping of kitt(iwake) + -y (diminutive suffix).
Etymology 6
Clipping of Katherine and related names + -y (diminutive suffix).
Etymology 7
From kitty.