bairn

[ bairn; Scots beyrn ]
See synonyms for bairn on Thesaurus.com
nounScot. and North England.
  1. a child; son or daughter.

Origin of bairn

1
before 900; Middle English bern, barn,Old English bearn; cognate with Gothic, Old Norse, Old High German, Old Saxon, barn,Old Frisian bern,Middle Dutch baren,Albanian me barrë pregnant; akin to Lithuanian bérnas boy, fellow, bear1

Words Nearby bairn

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bairn in a sentence

  • Woman—Thou beest a sound sleeper—Wake up, and see to thy bairn, and I will gie thee both a good breakfast.

    The World Before Them | Susanna Moodie
  • If onything is wrang wi' your bairn when it is born I'll never forgi'e' mysel' for lettin' you look at this business at a'.

    The Underworld | James C. Welsh
  • I speired at 'im what he meant by terrifyin' a bairn, but he didna say naething.

    A Window in Thrums | J. M. Barrie
  • He raised his heid when he heard me tellin' the bairn no to tear my wrapper.

    A Window in Thrums | J. M. Barrie
  • "Jamie was richt like Joey when he was a bairn," Hendry said.

    A Window in Thrums | J. M. Barrie

British Dictionary definitions for bairn

bairn

/ (bɛən, Scottish bern) /


noun
  1. Scot and Northern English a child

Origin of bairn

1
Old English bearn; related to bearm lap, Old Norse, Old High German barn child

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012