kitten
/ˈkɪtn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkɪtn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈki-tᵊn/ (ame, mw)
kitten — noun
- kittensingular
- kittensplural
1. a very young cat that is not yet fully grown and still depends on its mother for
a very young cat that is not yet fully grown and still depends on its mother for milk and protection.
The children were delighted when their cat gave birth to three tiny kittens in a cardboard box.
countable: three tiny kittens
Emma gently wrapped the frightened stray kitten in a soft towel and gave it some warm milk.
collocation: stray kitten
Our new kitten sleeps in a basket beside my bed and wakes me up by purring every morning.
Amir adopted a playful black-and-white kitten from the local animal shelter last spring.
- kitty
informal, affectionate term used mainly by children or when talking to a cat — 'kitten' is the neutral standard term
常見錯誤
kitten — verb
- kittenpresent simple I / you / we / they
- kittens3rd person singular
- kittening-ing form
- kittenedpast simple
1. to give birth to kittens — used only about female cats when they produce a litte
to give birth to kittens — used only about female cats when they produce a litter of young.
The neighbour's Persian cat is expected to kitten any day now, so they have set up a warm box.
about to + kitten: predicting the event
After their cat kittened last night, the family found homes for all five babies within a week.
past tense: kittened
文法句型
cat + kittens
cat + is about to + kitten
用法筆記
This verb is uncommon in everyday speech — most people say 'the cat had kittens' rather than 'the cat kittened'. It is used mainly by breeders, veterinarians, or in written descriptions of animal care.