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Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)

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First published 1960 (SND Vol. V). Includes material from the 2005 supplement.
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

KITTLE, v.², n.² Also kitle; kettle, ket(t)el (I.Sc.).

I. v. 1. Of cats: to have kittens (Sc. 1818 Sawers; Gall. 1824 MacTaggart Gallov. Encycl. 306; Sh. 1908 Jak. (1928); Ork. 1929 Marw.). Gen.Sc.; of other small creatures, esp. hares: to bring forth young (Uls. 1929; Sh., Cai., Abd., Ags., Fif., Kcb. 1960). Sometimes contemptuously of human beings (Sh., Bnff.² 1942). Now only dial. in Eng. Ppl.adj. kittling, with young, pregnant (Uls. 1953 Traynor).Edb. 1791 J. Learmont Poems 42:
Now fish may spawn upo' the lee, An' maukins kittle i' the sea.s.Sc. 1802 Scott Minstrelsy II. 261:
The hare sall kittle on my hearth stane, And there will never be a laird Learmont again.Sc. 1826 R. Chambers Pop. Rhymes 143:
The cats hae kittled in Charlie's wig, There's ane o' them livin' and twa o' them dead.wm.Sc. 1827 T. Hamilton Cyril Thornton I. 210:
My housekeeper's no to be trotting after every kittling wife in the parish.Ags. 1860 A. Whamond James Tacket xxxi.:
Oor kat kittled yestirday an i droond the kitlins i the washin tub.Uls. 1880 Patterson Gl.:
A hare with young is called a “kittling hare”. Some fishes spawn and others kittle.Hdg. 1903 J. Lumsden Toorle 279:
There's water to droun a' the Kates That e'er war' kittled, or will be. Abd. 1981 Christina Forbes Middleton The Dance in the Village 1:
The verra date the cat kittle't
The wirds o' Auld Lang Syne
Events baith comical an' serious
Frae the ridiculous tae the sublime.

2. Fig. (1) To produce more of its kind, to increase.Dmf. 1930:
Advice of uncle to nephew with a gift of money: Pit it in the bank, laddie; it micht kittle.

(2) To be engendered (in the mind), to spring into being. Vbl.n. kitling, engendering, creation.Ayr. 1823 Galt Entail lxvi.:
I would be nane surprised if something had kittled between Jamie and a Highland Lassie, ane Nell Frizel.Sc. 1831 Wilson Noctes Amb. (1855) III. 100:
The warst apothegm that ever was kittled in the shape o' a paradox.Ayr. 1834 Galt Lit. Life III. 40:
While thoughts of this fashion were kittling in my harn-pan.

¶II. n. The (unborn) young of certain small animals. Phr. to be in kittle, to be bearing young (ne.Sc., Kcb. 1960).Kcd. 1932 L. G. Gibbon Sunset Song 219:
Mr Gibbon threaded the throngs like a futret with kittle.