A person who has not yet reached adulthood, whether natural (puberty), cultural (initiation), or legal (majority)
"The parents knelt before their Child to pray for guidance on the difficult journey ahead."
Alternative letter-case form of child often used when referring to God (Jesus) or another important child who is understood from context.
In plain English: A child is a young human who has not yet grown up to be an adult.
"The child played happily in the garden while his mother read a book."
Usage: Use "child" to refer to a young human being regardless of case, but reserve the lowercase spelling specifically for religious contexts where it denotes Jesus or other divine figures. In all other everyday situations, standard capitalization rules apply based on sentence position rather than meaning.
To give birth; to beget or procreate.
"The couple decided to wait until they were financially stable before they could child a second son."
In plain English: To child something means to treat it with extreme care and protectiveness, often by spoiling it.
"The parents decided to adopt the childless couple's idea for their next vacation."
Usage: Do not use "child" as a verb in modern English, even though it historically meant to give birth. Instead, use standard verbs like "give birth to," "procreate," or "bear" when describing this action.
A surname.
"The Child family has owned that vineyard for three generations, and now it is time for their youngest child to take over."
The word "child" comes from Old English ċild, which originally meant "womb" or "fetus." This meaning likely stems from a root related to "to ball up," reflecting the idea of something gathered inside.