kit
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kit¹
- /ˈkɪt/
- [ˈkʰɪt]
Rhymes with -ɪt
Where it comes from
From Middle English kyt, kytt, kytte, from Middle Dutch kitte (“a wooden vessel made of hooped staves”). Related to Dutch kit (“tankard”) (see below). The further etymology is unknown. Perhaps from Proto-Germanic *kitjō-, *kut-, which would be related to the root of Dutch kot (“ramshackle house”), itself of non-Indo-European origin.
The transfer of meaning to the contents of a soldier's knapsack dates to the late 18th century, extended use of any collection of necessaries used for travelling dates to the first half of the 19th century.
The further widening of the sense to a collection of parts sold for the buyer to assemble emerges in American English in the mid 20th century.
noun kits
- A circular wooden vessel, made of hooped staves.
- A kind of basket made especially from straw of rushes, especially for holding fish; by extension, the contents of such a basket or similar container, used as a measure of weight. He was pushing a barrow on the fish dock, wheeling aluminium kits which, when full, each contain 10 stone of fish.
- A collection of items forming the equipment of a soldier, carried in a knapsack. Dudes! You simply have too much stuff in your kit! But don't sweat it, I can buy some stuff you don't need.
- Any collection of items needed for a specific purpose, especially for use by a workman, or personal effects packed for travelling. Always carry a good first-aid kit.
- A collection of parts sold for the buyer to assemble. I built the entire car from a kit.
- The standard set of clothing, accessories and equipment worn by players. A sell-out crowd of 10,000 then observed perfectly a period of silence before the team revealed their black armbands, complete with stitched-in poppies, for the match. After Fifa’s about-turn, it must have been a frantic few days for the England kit manufacturer. The on-field challenge was altogethe
- Clothing. Get your kit off and come to bed.
- A full software distribution, as opposed to a patch or upgrade.
- The set of skills and abilities chosen for a playable character.
- A drum kit.
- The whole set; kit and caboodle. Do you know the proportion between ten and twelve or thirteen? — No; I should suppose you may take the whole kit of them as thirty; and the rest are people at from twenty to forty years of age.
kit²
- /ˈkɪt/
- [ˈkʰɪt]
Rhymes with -ɪt
Where it comes from
[Alt: A young red fox emerging from a burrow, looking at the camera]
A short form of kitten or kitling. From the 16th century, spelled kytte, kitt. From the 19th century also extended to other young animals (beaver, fox, mink, muskrat, etc.), and to a species of small fox (kit fox). Later usage (for other animals) perhaps influenced by chit.
noun kits
- A kitten (young cat).
- A cat in general. “You must call them ‘squibs and crackers.’ And what would you call her?” pointing to the cat. ¶ “Cat or kit, or whatever you please, sir.”
- A kit fox (Vulpes macrotis).
- A young fox.
- A young or undersized fur-bearing animal (such as a beaver, ferret, skunk, rabbit, weasel, or squirrel)
kit³
- /ˈkɪt/
- [ˈkʰɪt]
Rhymes with -ɪt
Where it comes from
16th century, perhaps from cithara.
noun kits
-
Synonym of kit violin.
A dancing master's kit.
Similar: kit violin
kit⁴
- /ˈkɪt/
- [ˈkʰɪt]
Rhymes with -ɪt
Where it comes from
Borrowed from German kitte, Kütte (“flock of doves”) (circa 1880).
noun kits
- A flock of pigeons, especially domesticated, trained pigeons and especially when flying together. Keeping a kit of what are known as High-Flyers, is great sport for some people.
KIT⁵
phrase
- Initialism of keep in touch
Kit⁶
- /kɪt/
Rhymes with -ɪt
proper noun
- A diminutive of the male given name Christopher.
Kit⁷
- /kɪt/
Rhymes with -ɪt
proper noun
- A diminutive of the female given name Katherine and related female given names.
Kit⁸
- /kɪt/
Rhymes with -ɪt
Where it comes from
From Ukrainian кіт (kit, “tomcat”).
proper noun
- A transliteration of the Ukrainian surname Кіт (Kit).
Kit⁹
- /kɪt/
Rhymes with -ɪt
proper noun
- A male given name from Cantonese 傑 /杰 (git⁶).
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: kit out, outfit, kit up, matchbook, stake, bag, desk, toolbox, box, folder, toilet, pack, pouch, briefcase, pocket, tool
Translations
Every language
noun equipment of a soldier
| Português | equipamento, equipagem |
|---|---|
| Italiano | armamentario, equipaggiamento |
| Русский | снаряже́ние snarjažénije, экипиро́вка ekipiróvka |
noun collection of items needed for a specific purpose
| Español | juego, enselle |
|---|---|
| Português | kit, jogo |
| Français | trousse, ensemble, jeu |
| Italiano | armamentario |
| Русский | компле́кт komplékt, набо́р nabór, снаряже́ние snarjažénije, обору́дование oborúdovanije |
noun collection of parts sold for the buyer to assemble
| Español | kit, juego |
|---|---|
| Português | kit |
| Italiano | confezione |
Talk about this word "kit." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/kit. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. kit. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/kit "kit." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/kit.Cite this
@misc{kit_2026,
title = {kit},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/kit},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
