I. ˈyəŋ adjective
( youn·ger -ŋgə(r) ; youn·gest -ŋgə̇st)
Etymology: Middle English yong, from Old English geong; akin to Old High German jung young, Old Norse ungr young, Gothic jungs youthful, new, Latin juvenis young, Sanskrit yuvan
1. : being in the first or relatively early stage of life, growth, or development: as
a. : not long born : being in the first part of life : not yet arrived at adolescence, maturity, or age
mothers with very young children
a strapping younger brother — R.T.Bird
young people
a young family
a young man
you have but a very few years to be young and handsome — Jonathan Swift
forgot that he was once young and passionate — Carl Van Doren
young puppies
a spirited young colt
specifically : junior 1a
the young Mr. Smith
it was young Alex who … informed his father — Glenway Wescott
b. : of an early, tender, or desirable age especially for use as food
fresh young lamb
young pork
young corn on the cob
c. : being in an early or immature state of development or cultivation
in place of the old will come new young scarlet oaks and beech, 10 feet high when planted — P.L.Ritzema
apple sawfly caterpillars attack the young fruit in early summer
young shoots of the new grass
specifically : being in an early stage of ripening or fermentation
a young cheese
young wine
2. : having little experience especially in a newly begun course of action or procedure : unpracticed
liked to hide my blunders … behind the shield of pretence that I was young , naïve, inexperienced — Omnibook
was always young for liberty … of the intellect and spirit — Van Wyck Brooks
the world was as yet too young in science for that — Charlton Laird
3.
a. : newly formed, constructed, or organized : recently come into being : new
she is a young ship, capable of outrunning most submarines — Walter Bernstein
this part of the road is younger than the part farther west — G.R.Stewart
when the war was young — Thomas Wood †1950
a young boom town — Current Biography
a model for the young democracies — British Book News
the younger universities — S.P.B.Mais
the young petroleum industry
b. : being in the early part or phase of a specified development or period of time
a young moon — J.B.S.Haldane
the day was still young — Agnes S. Turnbull
the night is yet young — R.H.Croll
c. : youthful 5
the young alluvial soils … have not yet developed a profile — R.E.Crist
streams that have just entered upon their work of erosion … are called young streams — V.C.Finch & G.T.Trewartha
4. : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of youth or a young person
trying to stay young as he grows old
her soft young voice — Walter O'Meara
loves the language enough to want to keep it always young and racy — C.E.Montague
young for his age
wearing the youngest and giddiest hats they can find — Lois Long
5. : simulative of something in its full scale : diminutive , miniature
under her hands the harpsichord … was no small and ancient instrument, but a whole young orchestra in sound — Osbert Sitwell
the heavy rain produced a young flood in the street
his souvenirs form a young museum
6. usually capitalized : forming or representing a new or rejuvenated group or movement especially of a political nature
the Young Republicans
Young Germany
Young Italy
II. noun
( plural young also youngs )
Etymology: Middle English yonge, from Old English geonga (singular), geonge, geongan (plural), from geong, adjective
1. young plural : those that are young: as
a. : young persons : youth
a story for young and old
impart to the young the cultural heritage — Thomas Munro
the young have a harder time of it than any previous generation — Hans Weigel
b. : the offspring of human beings or of animals before or for a short time after birth
parents must think out … what this means to their own young — Dorothy Barclay
talking to him as all women talk to their young — Farley Mowat
watching animals … with young — C.K.Ogden
bringing forth their young
2. : a single recently born or hatched animal : offspring
producing one young each year
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- with young