Child definitions

Webster's 1828 Dictionary

CHILD, n.
1. A son or a daughter; a male or female descendant, in the first degree; the immediate progeny of parents; applied to the human race, and chiefly to a person when young. The term is applied to infants from their birth; but the time when they cease ordinarily to be so called, is not defined by custom. In strictness, a child is the shoot, issue or produce of the parents, and a person of any age, in respect to the parents, is a child.
An infant.
Hagar cast the child under one of the shrubs. Genesis 21.
It signifies also a person of more advanced years.
Jephthas daughter was his only child. Judges 11.
The child shall behave himself proudly. Isaiah 3.
A curse will be on those who corrupt the morals of their children.
The application of child to a female in opposition to a male, as in Shakspeare, is not legitimate.
2. One weak in knowledge, experience, judgment or attainments; as, he is a mere child.
Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child. Jeremiah 1.
3. One young in grace. 1 John 2.
One who is unfixed in principles. Ephesians 4.
4. One who is born again, spiritually renewed and adopted; as a child of God.
5. One who is the product of another; or whose principles and morals are the product of another.
Thou child of the devil. Acts 13.
That which is the product or effect of something else.
This noble passion, child of integrity.
6. In the plural, the descendants of a man however remote; as the children of Israel; the children of Edom.
7. The inhabitants of a country; as the children of Seir. 2 Chronicles 25.
To be with child, to be pregnant. Gen
16:11, Gen
29:36.
CHILD, v.i. To bring children.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a young person of either sex; "she writes books for children"; "they're just kids"; "`tiddler' is a British term for youngster" [syn: child, kid, youngster, minor, shaver, nipper, small fry, tiddler, tike, tyke, fry, nestling]
2: a human offspring (son or daughter) of any age; "they had three children"; "they were able to send their kids to college" [syn: child, kid] [ant: parent]
3: an immature childish person; "he remained a child in practical matters as long as he lived"; "stop being a baby!" [syn: child, baby]
4: a member of a clan or tribe; "the children of Israel"

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural children) Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English, from Old English cild; akin to Gothic kilthei womb, and perhaps to Sanskrit ja?hara belly Date: before 12th century 1. a. an unborn or recently born person b. dialect a female infant 2. a. a young person especially between infancy and youth b. a childlike or childish person c. a person not yet of age 3. (usually childe) archaic a youth of noble birth 4. a. a son or daughter of human parents b. descendant 5. one strongly influenced by another or by a place or state of affairs 6. product, result <barbed wire…is truly a child of the plains — W. P. Webb> • childless adjective • childlessness noun

Merriam Webster's

biographical name Francis James 1825-1896 American philologist & ballad editor

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. children) 1 a a young human being below the age of puberty. b an unborn or newborn human being. 2 one's son or daughter (at any age). 3 (foll. by of) a descendant, follower, adherent, or product of (children of Israel; child of God; child of nature). 4 a childish person. Phrases and idioms: child abuse maltreatment of a child, esp. by physical violence or sexual interference. child benefit (in the UK) regular payment by the State to the parents of a child up to a certain age. child care the care of children, esp. by a local authority. child-minder a person who looks after children for payment. child's play an easy task. Derivatives: childless adj. childlessness n. Etymology: OE cild

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Child Child, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Childed; p. pr. & vb. n. Childing.] To give birth; to produce young. This queen Genissa childing died. --Warner. It chanced within two days they childed both. --Latimer.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Child Child (ch[imac]ld), n.; pl. Children (ch[i^]l"dr[e^]n). [AS. cild, pl. cildru; cf. Goth. kil[thorn]ei womb, in-kil[thorn][=o] with child.] 1. A son or a daughter; a male or female descendant, in the first degree; the immediate progeny of human parents; -- in law, legitimate offspring. Used also of animals and plants. 2. A descendant, however remote; -- used esp. in the plural; as, the children of Israel; the children of Edom. 3. One who, by character of practice, shows signs of relationship to, or of the influence of, another; one closely connected with a place, occupation, character, etc.; as, a child of God; a child of the devil; a child of disobedience; a child of toil; a child of the people. 4. A noble youth. See Childe. [Obs.] --Chaucer. 5. A young person of either sex. esp. one between infancy and youth; hence, one who exhibits the characteristics of a very young person, as innocence, obedience, trustfulness, limited understanding, etc. When I was child. I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. --1. Cor. xii. 11. 6. A female infant. [Obs.] A boy or a child, I wonder? --Shak. To be with child, to be pregnant. Child's play, light work; a trifling contest.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(children) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. A child is a human being who is not yet an adult. When I was a child I lived in a country village... He's just a child. ...a child of six... It was only suitable for children. N-COUNT 2. Someone's children are their sons and daughters of any age. How are the children?... The young couple decided to have a child. N-COUNT

Easton's Bible Dictionary

This word has considerable latitude of meaning in Scripture. Thus Joseph is called a child at the time when he was probably about sixteen years of age (Gen. 37:3); and Benjamin is so called when he was above thirty years (44:20). Solomon called himself a little child when he came to the kingdom (1 Kings 3:7).

The descendants of a man, however remote, are called his children; as, "the children of Edom," "the children of Moab," "the children of Israel."

In the earliest times mothers did not wean their children till they were from thirty months to three years old; and the day on which they were weaned was kept as a festival day (Gen. 21:8; Ex. 2:7, 9; 1 Sam. 1:22-24; Matt. 21:16). At the age of five, children began to learn the arts and duties of life under the care of their fathers (Deut. 6:20-25; 11:19).

To have a numerous family was regarded as a mark of divine favour (Gen. 11:30; 30:1; 1 Sam. 2:5; 2 Sam. 6:23; Ps. 127:3; 128:3).

Figuratively the name is used for those who are ignorant or narrow-minded (Matt. 11:16; Luke 7:32; 1 Cor. 13:11). "When I was a child, I spake as a child." "Brethren, be not children in understanding" (1 Cor. 14:20). "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro" (Eph. 4:14).

Children are also spoken of as representing simplicity and humility (Matt. 19:13-15; Mark 10:13-16; Luke 18:15-17). Believers are "children of light" (Luke 16:8; 1 Thess. 5:5) and "children of obedience" (1 Pet. 1:14).

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. [pl. Children.] 1. Infant, babe, baby, nursling, suckling, chit, brat, bantling, bairn, little one. 2. Young person. 3. Offspring, issue, progeny.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

To eat a child; to partake of a treat given to the parish officers, in part of commutation for a bastard child the common price was formerly ten pounds and a greasy chiu. See GREASY CHIN.

Moby Thesaurus

adolescent, angel, artifact, babe, baby, bairn, boy, brainchild, brat, brood, bud, cherub, chick, chickabiddy, child of nature, chit, coinage, composition, concoction, creation, creature, crowning achievement, darling, daughter, descendant, descendants, dickens, distillation, dove, dupe, effect, end product, essence, extract, foetus, foster child, fruit, girl, grandchild, granddaughter, grandson, handiwork, heiress, hick, infant, ingenue, innocent, invention, issue, juvenile, kid, kitten, lad, laddie, lamb, lambkin, lass, lassie, little bugger, little fellow, little guy, little innocent, little one, little tad, little tot, lout, manufacture, masterpiece, masterwork, mere child, minor, mintage, mite, moppet, neonate, new mintage, newborn, newborn babe, nipper, noble savage, oaf, offspring, opera, opus, opuscule, origination, outcome, outgrowth, peewee, posterity, product, production, progeniture, progeny, puss, result, rube, runabout, scion, seed, shaver, simple soul, small fry, son, son and heir, sonny, stepchild, stepdaughter, stepson, stripling, tad, teenager, teener, teenybopper, toddler, tot, unsophisticate, wee tot, work, yokel, young hopeful, young man, youngling, youngster, youth