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

Marie Antoinette was born in Austria in 1755 and sent to France to be the child bride of the future King Louis XVI.

From BBC

Mr Stockton told paramedics he believed Charlie had appeared to be choking on a biscuit, but further investigation after the child's death showed that could "not have been", Mr Lumley said.

From BBC

Christopher Stockton, 38, denies murder and child abuse, while Charlie's mother Paula Roberts, 41, denies child neglect.

From BBC

Kolankiewicz, for one, was fascinated by studies of the carbon legacy of families — the emerging notion that a person’s carbon footprint would multiply through generations and that the best way to reduce emissions was to have one less child.

From Salon

It got him thinking about the inverse: Could he quantify how much carbon increased with that extra child?

From Salon

Related Words

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