childchild /tʃaɪld/ ●●● S1 W1 noun (plural children /ˈtʃɪldrən/) [countable] 1
YOUNG PERSON a young person who is not yet fully grown, especially someone younger than about 13 years old: The movie is too scary for young children.children under 10/12 etc. (=children who are younger than 10/12 etc.) Admission is free for children under 12. He has always been a healthy child.a child of five/seven etc. Carrie loved dolls when she was a child of seven or eight. He was very happy as a child (=when he was a child).THESAURUSkid informal – a child or a teenager: There are only a couple other kids Josh’s age in the neighborhood.toddler – a child that is just learning to walk: I keep very busy with a toddler in the house!little boy/girl – a young male or female child: The little boys were playing on the swings.teenager – someone who is between 13 and 19 years old: The teenagers at the high school are washing cars to raise money.adolescent formal – a teenager: Many adolescents spend too much time online or playing video games.juvenile formal – a young person who is not yet an adult, used especially when this person has committed a crime: As a juvenile, he faces a maximum sentence of five years.minor formal – someone who is not yet legally an adult: It is illegal to sell alcohol to minors.youngster – a child or young person. Youngster is used by adults, especially in writing: The community center has programs for local youngsters.2SON/DAUGHTER a son or daughter of any age: How many children does Jane have? Our youngest child still lives at home. Vic was an only child (=he had no brothers or sisters). We have three grown-up children.3somebody INFLUENCED BY AN IDEA someone who is very strongly influenced by the ideas and attitudes of a particular period of history: child of She is a real child of the '60s and is very anti-war.4somebody WHO IS LIKE A CHILD an adult who behaves in a silly or unreasonable way that is more typical of a child: Don’t be such a child!5somebody WITHOUT EXPERIENCE someone who has no experience or knowledge of something in a way that makes him or her seem very young: He’s still a child in matters of love.6be with child old use to be pregnant: be heavy/great/big with child (=be almost ready to give birth)[Origin: Old English cild] → see also child's playCOLLOCATIONSadjectives/nouns + childa four-year-old/ten-year-old etc. child Most six-year-old children can write their names.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 school-age child About 20% of school-age children in the U.S. are overweight.an unborn child (=a baby that is still inside its mother) Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can harm your unborn child.bright child He was a bright child - always asking questions.a spoiled child (=selfish and behaving badly to get things) He’s behaving like a spoiled child who can’t have what he wants.a gifted child (=extremely intelligent) The school has a special program for gifted children.a good child (=behaving well) Be a good child and sit down!a naughty child (=doing things that are not allowed) Some parents don’t know how to deal with naughty children.a problem child (=very difficult to deal with) Problem children may need to be removed from the classroom.school children The play was performed by a group of local school children.street children (=living on the streets because they have no homes) The organization aims to help street children in Latin America.verbsraise a child The cost of raising a child has risen rapidly.take care of a child If you take care of children, you have to be a very patient person.a child is born Most children are born in hospitals.a child grows up One in four children is growing up in poverty.child + nounschild abuse (=treating children in a very bad way) He was arrested on suspicion of child abuse.child development She’s an expert in child development.child labor (=the use of children as workers) The garments were made using child labor.child poverty The highest rates of child poverty in the U.S. are in rural areas.child star/actor Many child stars don’t continue to act when they are adults.
YOUNG PERSON a young person who is not yet fully grown, especially someone younger than about 13 years old: The movie is too scary for young children.children under 10/12 etc. (=children who are younger than 10/12 etc.) Admission is free for children under 12. He has always been a healthy child.a child of five/seven etc. Carrie loved dolls when she was a child of seven or eight. He was very happy as a child (=when he was a child).THESAURUSkid informal – a child or a teenager: There are only a couple other kids Josh’s age in the neighborhood.toddler – a child that is just learning to walk: I keep very busy with a toddler in the house!little boy/girl – a young male or female child: The little boys were playing on the swings.teenager – someone who is between 13 and 19 years old: The teenagers at the high school are washing cars to raise money.adolescent formal – a teenager: Many adolescents spend too much time online or playing video games.juvenile formal – a young person who is not yet an adult, used especially when this person has committed a crime: As a juvenile, he faces a maximum sentence of five years.minor formal – someone who is not yet legally an adult: It is illegal to sell alcohol to minors.youngster – a child or young person. Youngster is used by adults, especially in writing: The community center has programs for local youngsters.2SON/DAUGHTER a son or daughter of any age: How many children does Jane have? Our youngest child still lives at home. Vic was an only child (=he had no brothers or sisters). We have three grown-up children.3somebody INFLUENCED BY AN IDEA someone who is very strongly influenced by the ideas and attitudes of a particular period of history: child of She is a real child of the '60s and is very anti-war.4somebody WHO IS LIKE A CHILD an adult who behaves in a silly or unreasonable way that is more typical of a child: Don’t be such a child!5somebody WITHOUT EXPERIENCE someone who has no experience or knowledge of something in a way that makes him or her seem very young: He’s still a child in matters of love.6be with child old use to be pregnant: be heavy/great/big with child (=be almost ready to give birth)[Origin: Old English cild] → see also child's playCOLLOCATIONSadjectives/nouns + childa four-year-old/ten-year-old etc. child Most six-year-old children can write their names.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 school-age child About 20% of school-age children in the U.S. are overweight.an unborn child (=a baby that is still inside its mother) Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can harm your unborn child.bright child He was a bright child - always asking questions.a spoiled child (=selfish and behaving badly to get things) He’s behaving like a spoiled child who can’t have what he wants.a gifted child (=extremely intelligent) The school has a special program for gifted children.a good child (=behaving well) Be a good child and sit down!a naughty child (=doing things that are not allowed) Some parents don’t know how to deal with naughty children.a problem child (=very difficult to deal with) Problem children may need to be removed from the classroom.school children The play was performed by a group of local school children.street children (=living on the streets because they have no homes) The organization aims to help street children in Latin America.verbsraise a child The cost of raising a child has risen rapidly.take care of a child If you take care of children, you have to be a very patient person.a child is born Most children are born in hospitals.a child grows up One in four children is growing up in poverty.child + nounschild abuse (=treating children in a very bad way) He was arrested on suspicion of child abuse.child development She’s an expert in child development.child labor (=the use of children as workers) The garments were made using child labor.child poverty The highest rates of child poverty in the U.S. are in rural areas.child star/actor Many child stars don’t continue to act when they are adults.