baby
/ˈbeɪ.bi/ noun, adjective, verb, proper noun
Forms babies babier babyer baby-er babiest babyest baby-est babying babied Babys
- noun A very young human, particularly from birth to a couple of years old or until walking is fully mastered.
- noun A very young human, even if not yet born. “When is your baby due?”
- noun Any very young animal, especially a vertebrate; many species have specific names for their babies, such as kittens for the babies of cats, puppies for the babies of dogs, and chicks for the babies of birds. See :Category:Baby animals for more.
- noun A person who is immature, infantile, or feeble. “Stand up for yourself – don't be such a baby!”
- noun A person who is new to or inexperienced in something. “I only qualified as an architect this summer, so I'm still a baby.”
- noun The lastborn of a family; the youngest sibling, irrespective of age. “Adam is the baby of the family.”
- noun A person's romantic partner; a term of endearment used to refer to or address e.g. one's girlfriend, boyfriend, or spouse. “Too busy thinking about my baby, and I ain't got time for nothing else.”
- noun (informal) A form of address to a person considered to be attractive. “Hey baby, what are you doing later?”
- adjective (of vegetables, etc.) Picked when small and immature (as in baby corn, baby potatoes).
- adjective Newest (overall, or in some group or state); most inexperienced.
- adjective (in the comparative or superlative) Like or pertaining to a baby, in size or youth; small, young.
- verb (transitive) To coddle; to pamper somebody like an infant.
- verb (transitive) To tend (something) with care; to be overly attentive to (something), fuss over.
- proper noun A surname.
Synonyms
youngling big baby love babe babby babbie infant bab babber babe in arms bairn bantling bub bundle of joy chit crotch dropping crotchfruit fleshloaf nursling papoose child sister pamper featherbed cosset cocker coddle mollycoddle spoil indulge
Etymology
From Middle English baby, babie (“baby”), a diminutive form of babe (“babe, baby”), equivalent to babe + -y/-ie (“endearing and diminutive suffix”). Perhaps ultimately imitative of baby talk (compare babble).
* Borrowed from Malayalam ബേബി (bēbi), a surname typically found in Kerala.
* Borrowed from French Baby.
Webster’s 1913
- noun An infant or young child of either sex; a babe.
- noun A small image of an infant; a doll. Babies in the eyes, the minute reflection which one sees of one's self in the eyes of another.
- adjective Pertaining to, or resembling, an infant; young or little; as, baby swans. "Baby figure" Shak.
- verb To treat like a young child; to keep dependent; to humor; to fondle. Young.
Etymology [Dim. of babe]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “baby”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details