kitten

To feel very hungover (with an awful taste in one's mouth). A: "You don't look so good. How are you feeling after your night of partying?" B: "Ugh, I feel as if a cat has kittened in my mouth." A long night of drinking will leave you feeling as if a cat has kittened in your mouth.

A physically and sexually attractive young woman. With some new clothes and makeup, I bet she would be quite a sex kitten.

One who behaves wildly in youth often shows more restraint in adulthood. I wouldn't worry too much about your son's interest in partying—wanton kittens make sober cats most of the time.

Kg. a clump of dust and lint. She swept the dust bunnies out from under the bed. There's a huge dust kitten behind the chiffarobe. He hasn't cleaned in weeks. There are turkey's nests in every corner.

to be very angry; to show great anger. The teacher had a fit when the dog ran through the classroom. John threw a fit when he found his car had been damaged.

to get extremely upset. My mother pretty near had kittens when she found out I got fired. Calm down. Don't have kittens.

Cliché [of someone] physically very weak.(Also: as ~.) Six weeks of illness left the athlete as weak as a baby. John is as weak as a kitten because he doesn't eat well.

to become very upset or angry My mother had a fit when she saw the mess we'd made.

to be very angry My mother threw a fit when she saw the mess we'd made.

to become very worried or upset about something She nearly had kittens when I said I was going to buy a motorbike.

a young woman who is sexually exciting or attractive All she needs to do is untie her hair and remove her spectacles and she's transformed into a gorgeous sex kitten.

Also, have fits or a conniption fit ; take or throw a fit ; have kittens. Become extremely upset. For example, She'll have a fit when she sees Anne wearing the same dress, or Mom had a conniption fit when she heard about the broken mirror, or Don't take a fit-the car's not really damaged, or Jill was having kittens over the spoiled cake. One can also give someone a fit or fits , as in His dithering about punctuation is enough to give me fits. Fit and fits, along with conniption fit, have been used in hyperbolic expressions to denote a bout of hysterics since the 1830s; throw a fit was first recorded in 1906, and have a fit in 1924; have kittens, alluding to being so upset as to bear kittens, also dates from about 1900.

Feeble and fragile, as in After that bout with flu she was weak as a kitten. This simile has largely replaced weak as a cat, from the early 1800s.