child

[ chahyld ]

/ tʃaɪld /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR child ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural chil·dren.

a person between birth and full growth; a boy or girl: books for children.

a son or daughter: All my children are married.

a baby or infant.

a human fetus.

a childish person: He's such a child about money.

a descendant: a child of an ancient breed.

any person or thing regarded as the product or result of particular agencies, influences, etc.: Abstract art is a child of the 20th century.

a person regarded as conditioned or marked by a given circumstance, situation, etc.: a child of poverty; a child of famine.

British Dialect Archaic. a female infant.

Archaic. childe.

QUIZZES

TAKE ROUND 2 OF OUR PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ!

Here is our second set of teacher-selected PSAT vocabulary words. Do you know the meanings of these terms?

Question 1 of 10

advocate

to give up possession or occupancy of.

to speak or write in favor of; support or urge by argument; recommend publicly.

to pronounce or decree by judicial sentence.

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Idioms for child

with child, pregnant: She's with child.

Origin of child

before 950; Middle English; Old English cild; akin to Gothic kilthai womb

OTHER WORDS FROM child

child·less, adjectivechild·less·ness, noun

Words nearby child

chikee, chil-, chilalgia, chilblain, chilcat, child, child abuse, child benefit, child bride, child custody, child endowment

Definition for child (2 of 2)

Child

[ chahyld ]

/ tʃaɪld /

noun

Julia,1912–2004, U.S. gourmet cook, author, and television personality.

Lydia Maria (Francis),1802–80, U.S. author, abolitionist, and social reformer.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for child

Sands was involved in a scandalous-for-the-time romance with the carpenter and there were rumors she was pregnant with his child.
New York’s Most Tragic Ghost Loves Minimalist Swedish Fashion|Nina Strochlic|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
In Sweden parents can use those days up until the child turns 12.
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The Great Society is a place where every child can find knowledge to enrich his mind and to enlarge his talents.
Thank Congress, Not LBJ for Great Society|Julian Zelizer, Scott Porch|January 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST
It needs to be said: bigotry in the name of religion is still bigotry; child abuse wrapped in a Bible verse is still child abuse.
Dear Leelah, We Will Fight On For You: A Letter to a Dead Trans Teen|Parker Molloy|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST

At least one child in CAR has been killed or gravely injured per day, and 10,000 have been recruited into militant groups.
The Year’s Most Forgotten Humanitarian Crisis|Nina Strochlic|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
That child was as truly an object of reverence to us as any patient sufferer of mature age.
Household Education|Harriet Martineau
The mother's mood may be read at a glance: she is showing in one of a thousand tender ways her motherly affection for her child.
The Madonna in Art|Estelle M. Hurll
The cancer of the cheek in the parent becomes cancer of the bone in the child.
A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I|Various
Without looking up, or changing his tone, he asked the child if she had had a fall since the cast had been changed.
An American Suffragette|Isaac N. Stevens
But its real mother could not accept this decision, and offered rather to give up her child.
History of the Jews, Vol. I (of 6)|Heinrich Graetz

British Dictionary definitions for child

child

/ (tʃaɪld) /

noun plural children

a boy or girl between birth and puberty
(as modifier)child labour

a baby or infant

an unborn babyRelated prefix: paedo-

with child another term for pregnant

a human offspring; a son or daughterRelated adjective: filial

a childish or immature person

a member of a family or tribe; descendanta child of Israel

a person or thing regarded as the product of an influence or environmenta child of nature

Midland English and Western English dialect a female infant

Derived forms of child

childless, adjectivechildlessness, nounchildly, adjective

Word Origin for child

Old English cild; related to Gothic kilthei womb, Sanskrit jathara belly, jartu womb

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

Medical definitions for child

child

[ chīld ]

n.

A person who has not yet reached puberty.

A son or daughter; an offspring.

A person not of legal age; a minor.

Idioms and Phrases with child

child

In addition to the idiom beginning with child

, also see

second childhood

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

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WORD OF THE DAY

child

noun, plural chil·dren.

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Idioms for child

Origin of child

OTHER WORDS FROM child

Words nearby child

Definition for child (2 of 2)

noun

Example sentences from the Web for child

British Dictionary definitions for child

noun plural children

Derived forms of child

Word Origin for child

Medical definitions for child

n.

Idioms and Phrases with child

MEANINGS

WORD GAMES

LEARN

WRITING

WORD OF THE DAY

child

noun, plural chil·dren.

QUIZZES

TAKE ROUND 2 OF OUR PSAT VOCABULARY QUIZ!

Idioms for child

Origin of child

OTHER WORDS FROM child

Words nearby child

Definition for child (2 of 2)

noun

Words related to child

Example sentences from the Web for child

British Dictionary definitions for child

noun plural children

Derived forms of child

Word Origin for child

Medical definitions for child

n.

Idioms and Phrases with child