kid

¹ American  

[kid] / kɪd /

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)

kidded, kidding

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

adjective

1. made of kidskin.

2. Informal. younger.

   his kid sister.

kid ² American  

[kid] / kɪd /

verb (used with object)

kidded, kidding

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)

kidded, kidding

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

Kid ³ American  

[kid] / kɪd /

noun

1. Thomas. Kyd, Thomas.

---

kid ¹ British  

/ 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 brother

      kid sister

4. dialect my younger brother or sister

---

verb

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

kid ² British  

/ 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 ³ British  

/ kɪd /

noun

1. a variant spelling of (Thomas) Kyd

---

kid ⁴ British  

/ kɪd /

noun

1. a small wooden tub

---

kid Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing kid

• handle with (kid) gloves
• kidding

---

Other Word Forms

• kidder noun
• kiddingly adverb
• kiddish adjective
• kiddishness noun
• kidlike adjective

Etymology

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

Example Sentences

These parents developed hacks to reduce the temptation to scroll on phones while the film is playing—sound advice for kids and grown-ups alike.

From The Wall Street Journal

“With the kids, I’d really like to take them to Frozen, but then it’s $400,” she said of the local stage production.

From The Wall Street Journal

“There is a small chance that my helicopter won’t be able to have a sauna in it just because apparently some kids want dental work or something,” said the woman, as she adjusted her tiara.

From Los Angeles Times

"Just like with water safety, we have to continue teaching our kids to swim until they're strong swimmers," she says.

From BBC

Since the crash, she has spent her days preparing for Sunday’s race and letting the world know that she isn’t kidding.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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