Kits

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /kɪts/

Definitions

1. The young offspring of certain animals, especially foxes or rabbits ; a collection of tools or supplies assembled for a specific purpose ; a term for a baby kangaroo
2. Juvenile animals such as foxes or rabbits in their early life stages ; an organized group of items intended to perform a task ; the name for a kangaroo in its infancy
3. Immature creatures of species like fox or rabbit ; a package containing equipment or materials for a particular use ; a young kangaroo

Etymology: The "kits" in question is the plural of "kit," and the most striking part of its story is how far its sense has travelled from a tankard or a small animal. The earliest English sense of "kit" referred to a container: it is related to Dutch "kit," meaning tankard, and its further origin is unknown. A separate, unrelated "kit" meant a young animal, a short form of "kitten" or "kitling," recorded from the 16th century as "kytte" and "kitt." The modern sense of equipment grew out of the soldier's knapsack. In the late 18th century, "kit" came to mean the contents of a soldier's pack, and by the first half of the 19th century it was used for any collection of necessities carried on a journey. The sense then widened again in mid-20th-century American English to a set of parts sold so that the buyer could assemble them, which is the usage behind "kits" in the sense of a model kit or a set of components.

Synonyms: sets, packages, collections, assemblies, outfits