What does mitt mean?
A mitt is a glove or glove-like covering for the hand. The word is used for several distinct objects, including padded hand coverings, the glove used by a baseball catcher, and insulated gloves for handling hot cookware. In British English, “mitt” is particularly common in compounds such as “oven mitt,” whereas “mitten” is often the everyday term for a hand covering that keeps the fingers together. A mitten normally has a separate section for the thumb but one undivided compartment for the other fingers, while a mitt may have a separate compartment for each finger. The sporting sense is firmly established: a catcher’s mitt is a large padded glove designed to receive the ball. The word can also refer, particularly in northern British usage, to a thick woollen mitten. Across these senses, its central idea is a protective or purpose-built covering for the hand.
nounA glove or glove-like covering for the hand, especially one with a separate compartment for the thumb. The term is also used for a baseball glove and for padded gloves used when handling hot cookware.
- A glove or glove-like covering for the hand.
- A padded glove with a pocket for the fingers, used to catch a baseball.
- A heat-resistant glove used to handle hot cookware.
- A thick woollen glove with a separate thumb and a shared compartment for the fingers, especially in northern English and Scottish usage.
"She pulled on an oven mitt and lifted the roasting tin from the oven."
"The catcher slipped the ball into his mitt and threw it back to the pitcher."
"A pair of insulated mitts protected her hands from the handles of the frying pans."
The standard plural is “mitts”; “mittens” is a separate word with a closely related meaning.
"The chef placed a pair of oven mitts beside the stove."
In baseball, a player catches the ball in a mitt—while in the kitchen, the same word may mean a glove that protects against serious burns.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does mitt come from?
The word comes through Middle English from Old French mitte, meaning “glove,” with the Old French word deriving from a medieval Latin term of Germanic origin. In its older English senses, it referred to a hand covering without separately divided fingers, which accounts for its association with “mitten.” During the 19th century, “mitt” became a standard name for a baseball glove, especially one used by a catcher.
Related word forms
How mitt is actually used
In British English, “mitten” is more usual in everyday contexts, while “mitt” is especially common in compound expressions such as “oven mitt.” In baseball, “mitt” is standard in both British and American usage and may imply a glove designed specifically for catching rather than fielding. The thick woollen sense is associated especially with northern England and Scotland.
Easily confused with mitt
A mitt may have a separate thumb and fingers, whereas a mitten has one undivided compartment for the fingers and a separate thumb.