English dramatist (1558-1594)
"After studying Shakespeare's plays, I decided to write a short story in his style about King Lear and the tragic fate of Cordelia."
young goat
"The farmer gently brushed the dirt off the playful kid that had wandered into the barn."
A young goat.
"The old shepherd gathered dry kid to build a fire for the night's camp."
A fagot; a bundle of heath and furze.
In plain English: A kid is a young child or person who has not grown up yet.
"The kid played with a ball in the backyard all afternoon."
Usage: Do not use the archaic term "kid" to mean a bundle of heath and furze in modern conversation. Today, this word refers exclusively to a young goat or a child.
To make a fool of (someone).
"He didn't mean to kid his brother about leaving for Paris, but everyone laughed when he showed up at the airport three days later."
In plain English: To kid someone means to joke with them or tease them in a way that isn't meant to be taken seriously.
"The older brother likes to kid his sister about her new haircut."
Usage: Use "kid" as a verb to mean jokingly making fun of or deceiving someone, often in an affectionate way. This usage implies that the person being teased knows it is not serious and does not feel genuinely embarrassed.
The word "kid" comes from Old Norse for young goat and entered English with that same meaning. Around 1590, it began to be used informally to mean a human child, likely because kids are playful like children.