mitten

American  

[mit-n] / ˈmɪt n /

noun

1. a hand covering enclosing the four fingers together and the thumb separately.

2. mitt.

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mitten British  

/ ˈmɪtən /

noun

1. Sometimes shortened to: mitt.  a glove having one section for the thumb and a single section for the other fingers

2. slang a boxing glove

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Other Word Forms

• mittenlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of mitten

1350–1400; Middle English miteyn < Middle French, Old French mitaine, equivalent to mite mitten (< ?) + -aine -an

Explanation

A mitten is a cold-weather piece of clothing that you wear on your hand. Unlike gloves, which cover each finger individually, mittens cover your four fingers together, and your thumb separately. Mittens keep your hands warmer than gloves, because your fingers share their warmth and expose less surface area to the cold. Small children often wear mittens — they're easier to put on than gloves are, and it's common for them to be attached to each other with yarn that can be threaded through the arms of a coat, or clipped onto a coat's sleeves. The word mitten comes from medietana, "divided in the middle" in Vulgar Latin.

Example Sentences

People kept partying but I needed to hunt for the lost and found station, which had thoughtfully posted a picture of my mitten online.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 25, 2026

The day he arrived, on the bottom of a fishing boat, along with about 80 seasick travellers, he was hired by a mitten factory.

From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025

Hemlock is a small town located in the crook of the Michigan mitten, between the thumb and the fingers.

From Barron's • Nov. 7, 2025

In molecules, chirality can make biological or chemical units exist in two versions that cannot be perfectly matched, as in a left and right mitten.

From Science Daily • May 7, 2024

Madge is waiting at the intersection, red mitten waving, trombone case at her feet.

From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari

Related Words

• mitt