a person or thing regarded as the product of an influence or environment
a child of nature
9. English Midlands and Western England dialect
a female infant
Derived forms
childless (ˈchildless)
adjective
childlessness (ˈchildlessness)
noun
childly (ˈchildly)
adjective
Word origin
Old English cild; related to Gothic kilthei womb, Sanskrit jathara belly, jartu womb
kiddy in American English
(ˈkɪdi)
nounWord forms: plural-dies
informal
a child
Also: kiddie
Word origin
[1570–80; kid1 + -y2]This word is first recorded in the period 1570–80. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: bracket, duster, repeater, skeleton, snag-y is a noun-forming suffix with a variety of functions in contemporary English, addedto monosyllabic bases to create words that are almost always informal. Its earliestuse, probably still productive, was to form endearing or familiar names or commonnouns from personal names, other nouns, and adjectives (Billy; Susie; birdie; doggie; granny; sweetie; tummy). The hypocoristic feature is absent in recent coinages, however, which are simplyinformal and sometimes pejorative (boonies; cabby; groupie; hippy; looie; Okie; preemie; preppy; rookie). Another function is to form from adjectives nouns that denote exemplary or extremeinstances of the quality named by the adjective (baddie; biggie; cheapie; toughie), sometimes focusing on a restricted, usually unfavorable sense of the adjective(sharpie; sickie; whitey). A few words in which the informal character of -y and -ie has been lost are now standard in formal written English (goalie; movie)
Examples of 'kiddy' in a sentence
kiddy
Even now, she hadn't written, she hadn't rung, she'd done nothing for her kiddy.
Harvey, John THE LEGEND OF CAPTAIN SPACE
They will respond enthusiastically to this boisterous, well-carpentered kiddy-flick.
Globe and Mail (2003)
Making the kiddy sketch all the more tricky.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
And all in the kiddy-friendly medium of the comic book.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
They were the orphans and kiddy-villains of the great unwashed, and just didn't matter.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Also, the 'kiddy' wages for under 25s?
The Sun (2015)
Perhaps motherhood just lowers one's threshold for dead kiddy material.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
A band of kiddy misfits compete, against the odds, in an ultra-competitive little league tournament.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The language of the screenplay is relatively sophisticated and playful, certainly compared to the average kiddy movie.