child

¹

[ chahyld ]

noun

, plural chil·dren [chil, -dr, uh, n].

1. a person between birth and puberty or full growth:

   books for children.

2. a son or daughter; offspring considered with regard to parents:

   All my children are married.

3. a baby or infant:

   A child of six months can recognize family members.

4. a human fetus:

   My sister is seven months pregnant with a healthy child.

5. a childish person:

   He's such a child about money.

6. a descendant:

   a child of an ancient breed.

7. any person or thing regarded as the product or result of particular agencies, influences, etc.:

   Abstract art is a child of the 20th century.

8. a person regarded as conditioned or marked by a given circumstance, situation, etc.:

   a child of poverty; a child of famine.

9. British Dialect, Archaic. a female infant.
10. Archaic. childe.

Child

²

[ chahyld ]

noun

1. Julia, 1912–2004, U.S. gourmet cook, author, and television personality.
2. Lydia Maria (Francis), 1802–80, U.S. author, abolitionist, and social reformer.

child

/ tʃaɪld /

noun

1. 1. a boy or girl between birth and puberty
   2. ( as modifier )

      child labour

2. a baby or infant
3. an unborn baby paedo-
4. with child
   another term for pregnant
5. a human offspring; a son or daughter filial
6. a childish or immature person
7. a member of a family or tribe; descendant

   a child of Israel

8. a person or thing regarded as the product of an influence or environment

   a child of nature

9. dialect.
   a female infant

Derived Forms

• ˈchildless, adjective
• ˈchildly, adjective
• ˈchildlessness, noun

Other Words From

• child·less adjective
• child·less·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of child¹

First recorded before 950; Middle English; Old English cild; akin to Gothic kilthai “womb”

Word History and Origins

Origin of child¹

Old English cild; related to Gothic kilthei womb, Sanskrit jathara belly, jartu womb

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. with child, pregnant:

   She's with child.

More idioms and phrases containing child

In addition to the idiom beginning with child , also see second childhood .

Example Sentences

He continues: “I do get emails from people who say, ‘Adam, your films are not for children.’

From Los Angeles Times

Jimmy Morris and his three children — two teenage sons and a teenage daughter — are among the families that might fall through the cracks.

From Los Angeles Times

“We have horrible, disgusting, dangerous, filthy encampments of junkies and homeless people living in places that our children used to play Little League baseball, which they don’t get to play very much anymore, do they?”

From Los Angeles Times

Of the total responses, 72% stated they lost wages because of air quality or school closures that forced them to leave their jobs to pick up their children, and 14% were evacuated from their homes.

From Los Angeles Times

He added that benefit rises linked to having children had gone up by less than pension payments, adding: "Inequality is generational, and the generation that experiences it the most are the young".

From BBC

Related Words

• baby
• boy
• daughter
• girl
• juvenile
• kid
• minor
• offspring
• son
• youngster
• youth