kid

1
[ kid ]
See synonyms for kid on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. Informal. a child or young person.

  2. (used as a familiar form of address.)

  1. a young goat.

  2. leather made from the skin of a kid or goat, used in making shoes and gloves.

  3. 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.

Origin of kid

1
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English kide, from Old Norse kith

Other words from kid

  • kiddish, adjective
  • kid·dish·ness, noun
  • kidlike, adjective

Other definitions for kid (2 of 3)

kid2
[ 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.

  2. to humbug or fool.

verb (used without object),kid·ded, kid·ding.
  1. to speak or act deceptively in jest; jest.

Origin of kid

2
First recorded in 1805–15; perhaps special use of kid1

Other words for kid

Other words from kid

  • kidder, noun
  • kid·ding·ly, adverb

Other definitions for Kid (3 of 3)

Kid
[ kid ]

noun
  1. Thomas. Kyd, Thomas.

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

How to use kid in a sentence

  • Kidded him about the Boers, and the way the embattled farmers hung it on perfidious Albion.

    Fore! | Charles Emmett Van Loan
  • “Nix on the promotion stuff,” shot back Phelan, the consciousness returning that he was being kidded.

    Officer 666 | Barton W. Currie
  • For this reason many members of the unit kidded him about being a Russian spy; Oswald seemed to enjoy this sort of remark.

    Warren Commission (8 of 26): Hearings Vol. VIII (of 15) | The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy

British Dictionary definitions for kid (1 of 4)

kid1

/ (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

  1. informal

    • a young person; child

    • (modifier) younger or being still a child: kid brother; kid sister

  2. our kid Liverpool dialect my younger brother or sister

verbkids, kidding or kidded
  1. (of a goat) to give birth to (young)

Origin of kid

1
C12: of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse kith, Shetland Islands kidi lamb

Derived forms of kid

  • kiddishness, noun
  • kidlike, adjective

British Dictionary definitions for kid (2 of 4)

kid2

/ (kɪd) /


verbkids, kidding or kidded (sometimes foll by on or along) informal
  1. (tr) to tease or deceive for fun

  2. (intr) to behave or speak deceptively for fun

  1. (tr) to delude or fool (oneself) into believing (something): don't kid yourself that no-one else knows

Origin of kid

2
C19: probably from kid 1

Derived forms of kid

  • kiddingly, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for kid (3 of 4)

kid3

/ (kɪd) /


noun
  1. a small wooden tub

Origin of kid

3
C18: probably variant of kit 1 (in the sense: barrel)

British Dictionary definitions for Kid (4 of 4)

Kid

/ (kɪd) /


noun
  1. a variant spelling of (Thomas) Kyd

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with kid

kid

In addition to the idioms beginning with kid

  • kid around
  • kid gloves
  • kid stuff
  • kid the pants off

also see:

  • handle with (kid) gloves

Also seekidding.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.