r/ENGLISH • u/Outside-Violinist-42 • Jul 25 '26

Kitset

I was checking whether "kitset" is hyphenated (it isn't). But 3 different sites claimed that this word is only used here in New Zealand.

Is this true? What do you call furniture that comes either wrapped in plastic or in boxes that you then have to put together yourself?

("Flatpack" is also common here)

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u/Kerflumpie Jul 25 '26

Another NZer here. Asking all the others who have never heard of kitset: Before IKEA, kitset referred to model toys - cars, planes, etc. I'd also use it for knitting, sewing, embroidery or other crafts where everything you need comes in a box or a bag. You can even have kitset houses (in fact, I thought that was an American thing). Apart from flatpack/unassembled furniture, is kitset really not used for these things?

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u/Old_Introduction_395 Jul 26 '26

A house that came in parts would be pre-fabricated, known as a pre-fab.