kid

¹

[ kid ]

noun

1. Informal. a child or young person.
2. (used as a familiar form of address.)
3. a young goat.
4. leather made from the skin of a kid or goat, used in making shoes and gloves.
5. a glove made from this leather.

verb (used with or without object)

, kid·ded, kid·ding.

1. (of a goat) to give birth to (young).

adjective

1. made of kidskin.
2. Informal. younger:

   his kid sister.

kid

²

[ kid ]

verb (used with object)

, kid·ded, kid·ding.

1. to talk or deal jokingly with; banter; jest with:

   She is always kidded about her accent.

   Synonyms: rib, josh, tease

2. to humbug or fool.

verb (used without object)

, kid·ded, kid·ding.

1. to speak or act deceptively in jest; jest.

Kid

³

[ kid ]

noun

1. Thomas. Kyd, Thomas.

kid

¹

/ kɪd /

noun

1. a small wooden tub

Kid

²

/ kɪd /

noun

1. KidThomas a variant spelling of (Thomas) Kyd

kid

³

/ kɪd /

verb

1. tr to tease or deceive for fun
2. intr to behave or speak deceptively for fun
3. tr to delude or fool (oneself) into believing (something)

   don't kid yourself that no-one else knows

kid

⁴

/ kɪd /

noun

1. the young of a goat or of a related animal, such as an antelope
2. soft smooth leather made from the hide of a kid
3. informal.
   1. a young person; child
   2. modifier younger or being still a child

      kid sister

      kid brother

4. our kid dialect.
   my younger brother or sister

verb

1. (of a goat) to give birth to (young)

Derived Forms

• ˈkiddingly, adverb
• ˈkidˌlike, adjective
• ˈkiddishness, noun

Other Words From

• kiddish adjective
• kiddish·ness noun
• kidlike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of kid¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English kide, from Old Norse kith

Origin of kid²

First recorded in 1805–15; perhaps special use of kid ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of kid¹

C18: probably variant of kit ¹(in the sense: barrel)

Origin of kid²

C19: probably from kid ¹

Origin of kid³

C12: of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse kith, Shetland Islands kidi lamb

Idioms and Phrases

• handle with (kid) gloves
• kidding

Example Sentences

For people to feel good about sending their kids to school each day, the buildings should be conveniently located, appealing, comfortable to spend several hours in, and of course safe.

From Singularity Hub 

Turban shares that kids who feel controlled or shamed are less likely to be forthcoming about potentially risky online behaviors.

From Washington Post

It would let the team compare how kids who attended quality-rate preschools did on their reading and math tests through their senior year of high school, compared to those who didn’t.

From Voice of San Diego

Hearing a kid rant or shout in a store reflects poorly on the parents, not the child.

From Washington Post

Proving the shots are safe and effective for children is a crucial first step to vaccinating this population and protecting kids’ health.

From Science News

The kid from next door drops by and Marvin talks to him about the stunts in his latest film, Death Hunt.

From The Daily Beast

He stayed up all night, looking at the streets he had biked around as a kid with a whole new sensibility.

From The Daily Beast

After years at the head of a parochial school classroom, he could no longer distinguish one blond Irish Catholic kid from another.

From The Daily Beast

“I was watching ‘Daniel The Tiger’ with my kid and I heard two shots like ‘boom-boom,’” he said.

From The Daily Beast

“I walk my kid to school, passed that cop car everyday,” he said.

From The Daily Beast

"I'll look in the bar," I volunteered, remembering the kid had left with more of a roll than Meadows had now.

From Project Gutenberg

Zoomed over the German lines in the war, stoking an airplane, although at that time he was only a kid.

From Project Gutenberg

And dragged Joe into it, a good kid who had made only one really bad mistake in his life—the mistake of asking her to marry him.

From Project Gutenberg

Again it was empty except for the operator, a tow-headed kid with a Racing Form tucked in a side pocket.

From Project Gutenberg

Your gloves must be of kid, white, or some very light tint to suit your dress.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• baby
• boy
• child
• daughter
• girl
• infant
• son
• teenager
• youngster
• youth