chaton

French

chaton: kitten

Pronunciation

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• IPA: /ʃa.tɔ̃/, SAMPA: /Sa.tO~/

Etymology 1

First attested in Old French, from chat +‎ -on

chaton: catkin

Noun

chaton m. (plural chatons)

1. kitten, kitty (baby cat)
2. catkin

Etymology 2

From Middle French, from Old French chastun (“the projecting part of a ring embedded with a stone”), of Germanic origin, from Low Frankish *kasto (“box, case”), from Proto-Germanic *kas(t)ēn, *kasan, *kazan (“vessel, container”). Cognate with Old High German kasto (“box, case”) (Modern German Kasten), Dutch kast (“cupboard, case”), Old English castenere (“cabinet, chest”), Gothic 𐌺𐌰𐍃 (kas, “vessel, container”), Old Norse ker (“vessel, container”).

chaton: collet (silver), and chaton: jewel (blue)

Noun

chaton m. (plural chatons)

1. collet, beazle (around a jewel, on a ring)
2. (by extension) the jewel itself (around which the collet is, on a ring)