kitty
B1Informal, affectionate
Definition
Meaning
A familiar or child-friendly term for a domestic cat, especially a small or young one.
Also refers to a pool of money collected for a common purpose (e.g., in card games or group expenses). Can be used as a term of endearment for a person, though now somewhat dated.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a name for a cat, it conveys warmth and familiarity. The financial sense is slightly dated but still understood in contexts like poker or office collections.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The financial 'kitty' is slightly more common in UK English (e.g., 'office kitty for tea'). The affectionate 'kitty' for a cat is used in both.
Connotations
In both, 'kitty' for a cat is gentle and child-oriented. The financial sense has no strong regional connotation.
Frequency
More frequent overall in US English, primarily in the pet/cat sense. The UK uses it marginally more for the money pool.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[verb] + the kitty (e.g., feed, stroke, adopt)contribute to + the kittylet the kitty + [verb] (e.g., out, in)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “kitty-corner (US, diagonally opposite)”
- “the kitty is empty (no money left in the pool)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare; perhaps humorously for a communal fund ('office kitty').
Academic
Virtually never used.
Everyday
Very common for referring to pet cats, especially with children.
Technical
Not used.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Look at the small kitty!
- The kitty is sleeping.
- Her kitty is black and white.
- We put five pounds each into the kitty for the taxi.
- Their new kitty loves to play with string.
- Let the kitty out into the garden.
- We're kitty-corner from the post office, so it's very convenient.
- The poker kitty grew considerably after the final bet.
- She affectionately called her granddaughter 'kitty', a family tradition.
- The fundraising kitty for the community project has now surpassed its initial target.
- His whimsical essay explored the etymology of 'kitty' as a term of endearment beyond the feline realm.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'little kit' (a small thing) + '-y' (a cute ending) = a small, cute cat.
Conceptual Metaphor
CONTAINER FOR RESOURCES (for the money sense: 'The kitty is growing').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with the Russian name 'Китти' (a transliteration).
- The financial 'kitty' is not 'кит' (whale).
- It is not a direct synonym for 'кошечка' in all formal contexts.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'kitty' in formal writing about cats.
- Capitalising it as a proper noun when not a name (e.g., 'I saw a Kitty').
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'kitty' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is used for cats of any gender, especially when young or when the gender is unknown.
'Kitten' specifically means a young cat. 'Kitty' can mean a kitten, but also any cat in an affectionate way, and has the unrelated financial meaning.
No, it's informal. More formal terms are 'pool', 'fund', or 'collection'.
It's a folk etymology alteration of 'cater-corner' (from French 'quatre', four). It means diagonally opposite.
Explore