noun
child
CHYLD
noun
1
A young human being, from birth up to the start of the teenage years.
"The child ran across the playground laughing."
"She has two children, a boy and a girl."
2
A son or daughter of any age, regardless of how old they are.
"Even at fifty, he's still their only child."
"Every parent worries about their child, no matter how grown up they get."
3
Someone strongly shaped by a particular time, place, or influence.
"She always described herself as a child of the 1980s."
"He is very much a child of the internet age."
How to Use Child
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA young person, or, more loosely, anyone's son or daughter at any age.
Common mistake
The plural is "children," not "childs" — an irregular plural that trips up many learners.
Common pairings
an only child
child of divorce
from child to adult
a child prodigy
Word Forms
childed past tense, childs singular
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The _____ ran across the playground laughing.
Etymology
From Old English cild, going back to a very old Germanic word for offspring — it has been part of English since before written records began.