child

/tʃaild/

Definition

Noun:
- A young human being below the age of puberty or below the legal age of majority: A person who is not yet an adult.
- A son or daughter of any age: A human offspring, regardless of their current age.
- An immature or childish person: An adult who behaves in a naive, irresponsible, or simplistic manner.
- A member of a group with a common origin or descent: Used figuratively to denote a descendant or member of a specific tribe, nation, or ideological group.

Examples of Usage

Referring to a young person:
- The child played in the park.
- She is a teacher who loves working with children.
Referring to an offspring:
- They have three grown children.
- He is the child of immigrants.
Referring to an immature adult:
- He is such a child when he doesn't get his way.
- Don't be a child about this; we need to discuss it seriously.
Referring to a member of a group:
- They are children of the digital age.
- He considered himself a child of the revolution.

Advanced Usage

"With child": An archaic or literary phrase meaning pregnant.
- She was discovered to be with child.
"Child of nature": A person who is innocent, unspoiled, or closely aligned with the natural world.
- He lived in the woods like a child of nature.
"The child is father of the man": A proverb (from Wordsworth) meaning that a person's adult character is formed in childhood.

Variants and Related Words

Childhood (n): The state or period of being a child.
- She had a happy childhood.
Childish (adj): Typical of or appropriate for a child; often used negatively to describe immature behavior in an adult.
- His tantrum was a childish reaction.
Childlike (adj): Having the good qualities, such as innocence and wonder, associated with a child.
- She has a childlike enthusiasm for learning.
Childless (adj): Having no children.
- The couple remained childless.

Synonyms

Related Phrases

"Only child": A person who has no siblings.
- As an only child, she received a lot of attention.
"Problem child": A child who is difficult to control or manage; also used metaphorically for a persistent problem.
- This project has been the problem child of the department.
"Poster child": A child who represents a cause or campaign; more broadly, a perfect example or symbol of something.
- She became the poster child for the charity's success.

Idioms

"A burnt child dreads the fire": Someone who has had a bad experience will be careful to avoid a similar situation in the future.
"Children should be seen and not heard": An old-fashioned saying suggesting that children should be quiet and well-behaved in the presence of adults.
"The child is father of the man": (See Advanced Usage).

Noun

a member of a clan or tribe
- the children of Israel
an immature childish person
- he remained a child in practical matters as long as he lived
- stop being a baby!
a human offspring (son or daughter) of any age
- they had three children
- they were able to send their kids to college
a young person of either sex
- she writes books for children
- they're just kids
- `tiddler' is a British term for youngster

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