child

Pronunciation: /tʃaɪld/

Reading level: easy

Estimated CEFR level: A1 — Beginner

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a young person of either sex
  2. noun a human offspring (son or daughter) of any age
  3. noun an immature childish person

Etymology

From Middle English child, from Old English ċild, from Proto-West Germanic *kilþ, *kelþ, from Proto-Germanic *kelþaz (“womb; fetus”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵelt- (“womb”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“to ball up, amass”). Cognate with Danish kuld (“brood, litter”), Swedish kull (“brood, litter”), Icelandic kelta, kjalta (“lap”), Gothic 𐌺𐌹𐌻𐌸𐌴𐌹 (kilþei, “womb”), Sanskrit जर्त (jarta), जर्तु (jártu, “vulva”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

kid, youngster, minor, shaver, nipper, small fry, tiddler, tike, tyke, fry, nestling

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
juvenile
Narrower (hyponyms)
kiddy, silly, urchin, bairn, foster-child, poster child

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