kitty
noun

- a pool of money, especially one to which a number of people have contributed for a designated purpose.

(Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary)

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WORD ORIGIN

If someone says "put it in the kitty," there is no need to search for a cat (although kitty also refers to a young feline) in this expression we are talking about money.

Kitty generally refers to money collected from several people to be used for a specific purpose. The office might start up a kitty to collect money for a colleague's birthday or wedding for instance. A family could have a kitty where everyone puts their small change in order to save money for something, like a holiday.

The origin of kitty, as in a pool of money, is unclear. In some Northern English dialects kitty referred to a prison. This supposedly derived from "kidcote," a word that meant a temporary cell to hold someone prior to an appearance before a magistrate. This in turn was probably an ironic reference to kidcote (kid = a small goat, cote = cottage). In other words, a small pen for a goat.

The Oxford Dictionary suggests, without much evidence, that kitty derived from this prison sense (perhaps the idea of a pool of money that was "locked up" until it was needed). No one knows for sure though.

Kitty is also a poker term that refers to the sum of money that the players must pay before each hand begins (also called the "ante" or the "pot"). When it's time to put money into the kitty, the players are encouraged to "pony up," which is merely slang for to pay. Those that don't pay are usually "dogged" (continually reminded) until they do so.

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SYNONYMS

stash, nest egg, petty cash, cache

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Practice OWAD in a conversation

"Please put your loose coins IN THE KITTY. We're collecting money for the Red Cross."

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Thanks to Ulrich for suggesting today's word!