What does cabrit mean?
Cabrit is a rare and largely historical English word denoting a young goat — essentially, a kid. It entered English through Old French, which itself drew on Latin terms for the goat, and it survives today chiefly in two narrow contexts: heraldry, where a cabrit may appear as a small goat figure on a coat of arms, and antiquarian writing about animals and rural life. Outside these settings the word has effectively dropped out of use, with "kid" serving as the ordinary modern term. Readers are most likely to encounter cabrit in dictionaries of heraldry, glossaries of obsolete vocabulary, or discussions of medieval imagery. Because of its obscurity, pronunciation conventions vary, though it is generally treated as a two-syllable word derived from the French. For anyone interested in the history of animal names or armorial design, cabrit offers a charming glimpse of how everyday farmyard creatures acquired their own specialized — and sometimes surprisingly formal — vocabulary.
nounAn archaic and heraldic term for a young goat; in heraldry, a goat's kid depicted as a charge on a coat of arms.
- A young goat; specifically, a goat's kid when used as a heraldic charge.
"The family crest bore a golden cabrit standing atop the crest coronet."
"The shield was charged with a silver cabrit rampant against a field of blue."
"In older bestiaries and farm accounts alike, the cabrit was simply what we would now call a kid."
Pluralized regularly as "cabrits," though the plural is scarcely attested given the word's rarity.
"The tapestry depicted a hillside scattered with playful cabrits."
Long before cartoon goats graced our screens, the humble kid had its own fancy name — cabrit — and even earned a place on medieval coats of arms.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cabrit
The word derives from Old French "cabrit," meaning a young goat, which traces back to Late Latin forms built on "caper"/"capra" (goat). It was borrowed into English in medieval times, where it found its most durable niche in heraldic language describing goats' kids as charges. Its closest living relatives include "caprine," "cabriole," and the zodiacal name "Capricorn," all descending from the same Latin root for goat.
How cabrit is actually used
"Cabrit" is extremely rare in modern English and survives mainly in heraldic terminology and historical texts. Its precise English pronunciation is not firmly established; the transcription given is a conservative anglicization of the Old French form.
Easily confused with cabrit
A cabaret is a form of entertainment performed in a nightclub or restaurant, whereas a cabrit is an archaic or heraldic term for a young goat.