child S1 W1 /tʃaɪld/ BrE AmE noun ( plural children /ˈtʃɪldrən/) [countable]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: cild ]
1 . YOUNG PERSON someone who is not yet an adult SYN kid :
The hotel is ideal for families with young children.
The film is not suitable for children under 12.
I was very happy as a child (=when I was a child) .
a child of five/eight etc
For a child of five this was a terrifying experience.
a famous writer of children’s books
child victims of war
2 . SON/DAUGHTER a son or daughter of any age:
I have five children, all happily married.
She lives with her husband, Paul, and three grown-up children.
Annie had always wanted to get married and have children.
Alex is an only child (=he has no brothers or sisters) .
Our youngest child, Sam, has just started university.
eldest child especially BrE, oldest child especially American English
the decision to bring a child into the world (=have a baby)
3 . SOMEBODY INFLUENCED BY AN IDEA someone who is very strongly influenced by the ideas and attitudes of a particular period of history
child of
a real child of the sixties
4 . SOMEBODY WHO IS LIKE A CHILD someone who behaves like a child and is not sensible or responsible – used to show disapproval:
She’s such a child!
5 . something is child’s play used to say that something is very easy to do:
I’ve cooked for 200 people before now. So, tonight is child’s play by comparison.
6 . children should be seen and not heard an expression meaning that children should be quiet and not talk – used when you disapprove of the way a child is behaving
7 . be with child old use to be ↑ pregnant
8 . be heavy/great with child old use to be nearly ready to give birth
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COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + child
▪ a four-year-old/ten-year-old etc child
A four-year-old child should not be left on their own.
▪ a young child
Young children are naturally curious about the world.
▪ a small child (=a young one)
My family lived in France when I was a small child.
▪ a newborn child
He was holding the newborn child in his arms.
▪ an unborn child (=a baby that is still inside its mother)
Smoking can damage your unborn child.
▪ a spoilt/spoiled child (=allowed to do or have whatever he or she wants, and behaving badly)
He’s behaving like a spoilt child.
▪ a gifted child (=extremely intelligent)
a special school for gifted children
▪ a bright child (=intelligent)
He was a bright child – always asking questions.
▪ a good/bad child
Be a good child and sit down!
▪ a naughty child (=doing things that are not allowed)
He's behaving like a naughty child.
▪ an easy/difficult child (=easy or difficult to deal with)
Marcus was a very happy, easy child.
▪ a problem child (=very difficult to deal with)
Problem children may need to be removed from the classroom.
▪ an adopted child (=legally made part of a family that he or she was not born into)
I didn’t find out that I was an adopted child until years later.
▪ street children (=living on the streets because they have no homes)
The organization aims to help street children in Latin America.
■ verbs
▪ bring up a child especially British English , raise a child especially American English
The cost of bringing up a child has risen rapidly.
▪ a child is born
Most children at born in hospital.
▪ a child grows up
One in four children is growing up in poverty.
■ child + NOUN
▪ child abuse (=treating children in a very bad way, especially sexually)
He was arrested on suspicion of child abuse.
▪ child development
She’s an expert in child development.
▪ child labour British English , child labor American English (=the use of children as workers)
The garments were made using child labour.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ child someone who is not yet an adult. You don’t usually use child to talk about babies or teenagers:
Many children are scared of the dark.
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He’s just a child.
▪ kid informal a child. Kid is the usual word to use in everyday spoken English:
We left the kids in the car.
▪ little boy/little girl a young male or female child:
I lived there when I was a little girl.
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Little boys love dinosaurs.
▪ teenager someone between the ages of 13 and 19:
There’s not much for teenagers to do around here.
▪ adolescent a young person who is developing into an adult – used especially when talking about the problems these people have:
He changed from a cheerful child to a confused adolescent.
▪ youth especially disapproving a teenage boy – especially one who is violent and commits crimes:
He was attacked by a gang of youths.
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a youth court
▪ youngster a child or young person – used especially by old people:
You youngsters have got your whole life ahead of you.
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He’s a bright youngster with a good sense of humour.
▪ minor law someone who is not yet legally an adult:
It is illegal to sell alcohol to a minor.