kit

1 of 5

noun (1)

ˈkit 

1

a(1)

: a collection of articles usually for personal use

a travel kit

(2)

: a set of tools or implements

a carpenter's kit

(3)

: a set of parts to be assembled or worked up

a model-airplane kit

(4)

: a packaged collection of related material

a convention kit

(5)

chiefly British : gear

run over to my billet and get some overnight kit

—Lionel Shapiro

b

: a container for any of such sets or collections

2

: a group of persons or things

—usually used in the phrase the whole kit and caboodle

3

dialectal British : a wooden tub

kit

2 of 5

verb

kitted; kitting

transitive verb

chiefly British

: equip, outfit

—often used with up or out

kit

3 of 5

noun (2)

: a small narrow violin

kit

4 of 5

noun (3)

1

: kitten

2

: a young or undersized fur-bearing animal (such as a beaver, fox, or raccoon)

also : its pelt

kit

5 of 5

abbreviation

kitchen

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• accoutrements
• accouterments
• apparatus
• equipment
• gear
• hardware
• material(s)
• matériel
• materiel
• outfit
• paraphernalia
• stuff
• tackle

Verb

• accoutre
• accouter
• equip
• fit (out)
• furnish
• gird
• outfit
• provision
• rig
• supply

Examples of kit in a Sentence

Noun (1)

soldiers were dispatched to get their kit

Verb

go see the quartermaster to be kitted out in your new uniforms

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This Burt’s Bees kit, which over 100,000 shoppers have purchased in the past month, comes with travel-size versions of the brand’s best-sellers, including a cleanser, hand salve, body lotion, foot cream, and lip balm. —Mia Huelsbeck, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024

This is not a knife for prying open paint cans or for the apocalypse survivor kit, but my original Opinel is 35 years old and still going strong. —Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, 6 Dec. 2024

Verb

Kumar obtained a will kit and convinced two staff members to witness Cox writing the will, per SMH, Daily Mail and The Age. —Escher Walcott, People.com, 26 Nov. 2024

Sass’s brigade not only supplies the trucks, but also kits them out with custom technology designed specifically for combat such as jammers and night vision cameras. —David Gilbert, WIRED, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English

Noun (2)

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Verb

1919, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1520, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1562, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing kit

• drum kit
• first aid kit
• get/take one's kit off
• kit bag
• kit fox
• kit out/up
• mess kit
• press kit
• root kit
• starter kit
• the whole kit and caboodle
• tool kit

Kids Definition

kit

1 of 3 noun

ˈkit 

1

a

: a collection of articles for personal use

a shaving kit

b

: a set of tools or supplies

a first-aid kit

c

: a set of parts to be put together

model-airplane kit

2

: a container (as a bag or case) for a kit

3

: a group of persons or things

—used in the phrase the whole kit and caboodle

kit

2 of 3 noun

: a small narrow violin

kit

3 of 3 noun

1

: kitten

2

: a young or small fur-bearing animal (as a fox)

Etymology

Noun

Middle English kit "a wooden tub"

Noun

origin unknown

Noun

a shortened form of kitten