kitty-come-down-the-lane-jump-up-and-kiss-me

noun

A flowering plant of the species Arum maculatum.

Similar
Adam and Eveadder's meatadder's rootarumarum lilybobbinscows and bullscuckoopint
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Meanings

nounkitty-come-down-the-lane-jump-up-and-kiss-me (uncountable)
  1. KentUKdialectaluncountableA flowering plant of the species Arum maculatum.

    Synonyms: Adam and Eve, adder's meat, adder's root, arum, arum lily, bobbins, cows and bulls, cuckoopint

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA flowering plant of the species Arum maculatum.

Similar
Adam and Eveadder's meatadder's rootarumarum lilybobbinscows and bullscuckoopintcuckoo-plantdevils and angelsfriar's cowlJack-in-the-pulpitlamb-in-a-pulpitlord-and-ladylords-and-ladiesnaked boyssnake's headstarch-rootwakerobin
Also see
cows and bullscuckoopintjack-in-the-pulpitlords and ladiessnake's headstarch-root

Origin

The origin of its name is uncertain; "kitty" was a common placeholder name for a young woman in folktales. To "come down the lane" possibly refers to where a rural walker or forager would stumble across it, "jump up and kiss me" possibly refers to how the plant appears in the early spring.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

kitty-come-down-the-lane-jump-up-and-kiss-me. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kitty-come-down-the-lane-jump-up-and-kiss-me

MLA

“kitty-come-down-the-lane-jump-up-and-kiss-me.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kitty-come-down-the-lane-jump-up-and-kiss-me. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kitty-come-down-the-lane-jump-up-and-kiss-me,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kitty-come-down-the-lane-jump-up-and-kiss-me.

Source: kitty-come-down-the-lane-jump-up-and-kiss-me on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.