the youngest member of a group (not necessarily young)
"the baby of the family"
"the baby of the Supreme Court"
an unborn child; a human fetus
"I felt healthy and very feminine carrying the baby"
"it was great to feel my baby moving about inside"
A very young human, particularly from birth to a couple of years old or until walking is fully mastered.
"The mother spent all morning holding her baby while waiting for it to finally take its first confident steps across the living room rug."
In plain English: A baby is a very young human child who cannot walk or talk yet and needs someone to take care of it.
"The baby cried when he woke up hungry."
Usage: Use "baby" to refer specifically to a human infant who has not yet developed the ability to walk independently. It distinguishes this developmental stage from older toddlers or children who have mastered walking.
treat with excessive indulgence
"grandparents often pamper the children"
"Let's not mollycoddle our students!"
To coddle; to pamper somebody like an infant.
"The coach was criticized for babying his star player instead of letting him face the challenges of the season."
In plain English: To baby someone means to treat them like an infant by overprotecting or spoiling them.
"The baby monitor started to babble when the infant cried in the next room."
Usage: Use "to baby" when you describe treating an adult with excessive care or shielding them from responsibilities in a way that hinders their growth. Avoid using it for literal infants, as the term specifically implies overindulging someone who no longer needs such protection.
Picked when small and immature (as in baby corn, baby potatoes).
"The farmer harvested the baby potatoes while they were still tender and sweet."
In plain English: Baby means something that is very small, young, or not yet fully grown.
"She picked up her baby blue shirt from the chair."
Usage: Use "baby" as an adjective to describe produce or other items that are harvested while still very young and tender, such as baby carrots or baby spinach. This usage emphasizes their small size and delicate texture rather than implying they are intended for infants.
The word "baby" comes from Middle English as a diminutive form of "babe," created by adding an endearing suffix. It may have originally been an imitation of the sounds made in baby talk, similar to how the word "babble" is formed.