Definition

1. Noun:
   • Informal term for a domestic cat: A casual or affectionate name for a pet cat.
   • A young domestic cat: Specifically refers to a kitten or a small cat.
   • The cumulative amount involved in a game (such as poker): The total pool of money or chips that players contribute to during a card game, which is won by the player with the best hand.
   • The combined stakes of the betters: A shared fund of money collected from multiple people for a common purpose, such as for bets, a group purchase, or office social events.

Usage Examples

• Informal term for a domestic cat:
  • Our kitty loves to sleep in the sun.
  • I'm going to feed the kitty.
• A young domestic cat:
  • The children were delighted by the playful kitty.
• The cumulative amount in a game:
  • He won the entire kitty with a royal flush.
  • Each player adds $5 to the kitty at the start of the poker game.
• The combined stakes for a common purpose:
  • We all put money into the office kitty for a farewell gift.
  • The kitty for the weekly lottery has grown quite large.

Advanced Usage

• "To sweeten the kitty": To add more money to the common pool, especially in gambling or a collective fund, to make it more attractive or substantial.
  • To encourage more players, they decided to sweeten the kitty with an extra prize.

Variants and Related Words

• Kitten (n): The standard term for a young cat.
• Pool (n): A sum of money contributed by a group and used for a common purpose; a very close synonym for the "fund" meanings of .
• Pot (n): In gambling, especially poker, this is a direct synonym for the cumulative amount of money or chips to be won.

Synonyms

• Cat / Pussycat: For the "domestic cat" meaning.
• Fund / Pool / Pot: For the "cumulative amount of money" meanings.

Related Phrases

• Kitty-corner (adj/adv): This is a variant of "catty-corner," meaning diagonally opposite. (Note: This is a distinct compound word and not a direct meaning of "kitty" alone).
  • The pharmacy is kitty-corner from the bank.

Noun

1. informal terms referring to a domestic cat
2. young domestic cat
3. the cumulative amount involved in a game (such as poker)
4. the combined stakes of the betters