child

/tʃaild/

Thân thiện

A child reads a picture book in a cozy chair.

Definition

1. 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

• Kid: (Informal) A child or young person.
• Youngster: A young person, typically a child.
• Minor: A person under the legal age of majority.
• Offspring: A person's child or children.
• Juvenile: A young person, often used in formal or legal contexts.

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).

Học thuật

Noun

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

Từ đồng nghĩa

• baby
• kid