kitty

n. a friendly or childish name for a cat or a kitten.

n. a hypocoristic or diminutive term for a cat of any age, though often specifically referring to a kitten.

“The little girl called her new kitty over for a bowl of milk.”

“The stray kitty eventually grew comfortable enough to approach the porch, lured by the consistent offering of kibble.”

Informal

n. a collection of money that a group of people put together to pay for shared costs.

n. a collective fund or pool of money to which participants contribute for shared expenses or joint purposes.

“We all put ten dollars into the kitty to pay for the office snacks.”

“By the end of the holiday, the communal kitty was nearly empty, having covered all the group's transport and dining costs.”

Informal

n. the total amount of money that players can win in a card game.

n. the total sum of money at stake in a game of chance, or a specific portion set aside for house expenses.

“He won the whole kitty with a lucky pair of aces.”

“The veteran poker players agreed that a small percentage of every winning hand would go into the kitty to pay for the room rental.”

Slang

n. a short name for a woman named Katherine.

n. a diminutive or pet form of the female given name Katherine or its variants.

“Her full name is Katherine, but all her friends call her Kitty.”

“Kitty was a popular nickname in the early twentieth century, though it is less commonly used as a formal diminutive today.”

Informal

n. a slang word for a jail or prison.

n. a slang term for a place of legal confinement or a local lockup.

“He spent a night in the kitty after the rowdy protest.”

“Local lore suggested that the old stone building had served as the town kitty for decades before the new precinct was built.”

Dialect · Slang