babe in arms

Idioms  

1. An infant, as in She's been a family friend since I was a babe in arms. Although the word “babe” for baby has been used since the 1300s, this phrase describing a child too young to walk (and hence having to be carried) dates only from about 1900.

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Example Sentences

Andrei Varleez joined a queue at a petrol station with his wife and sons - one of them just a babe in arms - after hearing the bombardment overnight.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2022

Elsewhere in the series, an unnamed couple — a female couple, once you zoom in — walks down the dirt road of Main Street together, a toddler alongside and a babe in arms.

From New York Times • Dec. 4, 2019

In “The Creed,” the babe in arms holds a smartphone up like it’s holy scripture.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 6, 2017

There is whimsical wisdom, I think, in a babe in arms who must dance before being able to walk.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 12, 2017

Jon had been a babe in arms when it began.

From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin