Kitty

Kitty

Noun · /ˈkɪt.i/

Definition

A diminutive form of kitten; a cat (informal, especially in children's speech); a communal fund or pool of money contributed to by members of a group for a shared purpose; the pot in a card game.

Origin

From kitten + diminutive suffix -y/-ie. The pool of money sense derives from 'kit', an archaic word for a wooden tub — money in the kitty was money in the communal container. The card game sense is possibly from 'kit' (a box or container) or from the cat association with poker chips.