child

n., pl., chil·dren (chĭl'drən).

1. 1. A person between birth and puberty.
   2. A person who has not attained maturity or the age of legal majority.
2. 1. An unborn infant; a fetus.
   2. An infant; a baby.
3. One who is childish or immature.
4. A son or daughter; an offspring.
5. A member of a tribe; descendant: children of Abraham.
6. 1. An individual regarded as strongly affected by another or by a specified time, place, or circumstance: a child of nature; a child of the Sixties.
   2. A product or result of something specified: "Times Square is a child of the 20th century" (Richard F. Shepard).

idiom:

with child

1. Pregnant.

[Middle English, from Old English cild.]

childless child'less adj.
childlessness child'less·ness n.

(1) In database management, the data that is dependent on its parent. See parent-child.

(2) A component that is subordinate to a higher-level component. See child menu, child program and child window.

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noun

1. A young person between birth and puberty: bud, innocent, juvenile, moppet, tot, youngster. Informal kid. Scots bairn. See kin, youth/age/maturity.
2. One who is not yet legally of age: juvenile. Law infant, minor. See law, youth/age/maturity.
3. A guileless, unsophisticated person: babe, ingénue, innocent, naive. Idioms: babe in the woods. See knowledge/ignorance.
4. One descended directly from the same parents or ancestors: descendant, offspring, progeny, scion. See kin.

Idioms beginning with child:
child's play

In addition to the idiom beginning with child, also see second childhood.

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n

Definition: very young person
Antonyms: adult

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Judaism has always placed a high value on bearing and rearing children. The verse, "Be fruitful and multiply" (Gen. 1:28), was considered to be the first commandment in the Bible. The Talmud asserts that one who is childless may be considered dead (Ned. 64b) and compares the intentional avoidance of having children to murder (Yev. 63b). The commandment to be fruitful, however, devolves upon men only and is regarded as fulfilled once two boys or a boy and girl have been born. A man may marry a woman incapable of bearing children only if he has already fulfilled his obligation or if he has another wife who is presumed fertile (Maim. Yad, Ishut 15:7). A couple that remains childless after ten years of marriage is expected to divorce; if infertility is attributable to the woman she forfeits the basic compensation (but not any additional compensation promised) guaranteed in her marriage contract (Ketubbah). If infertility is attributable to the husband, he must pay all benefits enumerated in the marriage contract (ibid. 15:8). In modern times, divorce of this kind is extremely rare. One interpretation equates the biblical punishment of Karet, being "cut off," with Barrenness.

The Bible states that children will suffer for their parents' evil doings "unto the third and fourth generation" (Ex.20:5). However, this was modified by the rabbis (Ber. 7a) to refer only to offspring who continue to follow their parents' sins. Children benefit from their parents' righteousness "to the thousandth generation" (Ex. 20:5-6).

The origin of the celebration of Shalom Zakhar, held on the Friday night following the birth of a son, is found in the Talmud. Names are given to male children at their Circumcision; girls when the father is called to the Reading of the Law in the synagogue within a week of the birth. In recent decades, Jews in various Western communities originated the custom of celebrating the birth of a daughter with a ceremony known as Simḥat Bat.

The child's initiation to Jewish life begins from an early age with the recitation of the Shema and blessings and the study of Hebrew and the Pentateuch. The Mishnah states that boys are to study the Bible from the age of five, Mishnah at ten, to perform Mitsvot at the age of 13, and to study Talmud at 15 (Avot 5:21); see Education. Today, the study of Mishnah and Talmud may begin at younger ages. In previous eras, girls were not given formal schooling, but rather learned their Jewish and domestic responsibilities from their mothers in the home. Although children are exempt from the performance of mitsvot, both boys and girls were introduced early on to the various rituals so that they would be well accustomed to them when they reached majority---girls at the age of 12 and boys at the age of 13. Traditionally, girls were not encouraged to participate in the various rituals such as those pertaining to Tsitsit, Tefillin, Tallit, etc., from which they were exempt. In nearly all communities, except the extremely traditional Orthodox, this pattern is currently changing, with Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist movements taking the lead. Today, girls in virtually all communities attend school.

The filial obligations of children are recorded in the Pentateuch under the rubrics of honor (Ex. 20:12) and reverence (Lev. 19:3). Honor requires the provision of food, drink, and personal needs. Reverence requires that the child not sit in his parent's seat or contradict him in conversation (Kid. 31b). The Bible (Deut. 21:18-21) even invoked the death penalty for the Rebellious Son who disregarded his parents and exhibited other extreme forms of anti-social behavior. The predominant opinion in the Talmud claims that the Bible's intent was never actually to cause such a child to be executed but rather to express a value judgment upon such actions (San. 71a). However, a child is instructed to defy his parents should they order him to transgress the laws of Judaism.

A child born of an incestuous or adulterous relationship is designated a mamzer and may not marry into the community (Yev. 49a; see Illegitimacy). Such a child is still considered a Jew, however, and is permitted to marry another mamzer. The Talmud further states that a mamzer who is a Torah scholar is to be accorded higher honor than an uneducated High Priest (Hor. 3:8). There is no legal stigma attached to children born out of wedlock.

In practice, the Jewish household has traditionally revolved around the bearing and rearing of children. Jewish parents the world over aspire to be blessed with God-fearing children and grandchildren and to be able to take pride in their offspring's accomplishments (see also Family; Mother; Parent and Child.)

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The proportion of children in British society has varied over time. In 1801, the proportion of children under 15 years was estimated to have been one-third of the total, increasing to almost 40 per cent by the mid-19th cent. By 1991 the proportion of children had decreased to about a quarter of the total population. Although many children were born, infant mortality rates were high until the improvements in health care in the last quarter of the 19th cent. Official statistics indicate that the number of children per family varied little between social classes until the 1870s, when contraception was taken up by the better-off. Access to contraception spread to all levels of society during the 20th cent., particularly after the introduction of the female contraceptive pill in the 1960s.

Attitudes to children have varied over time. The concept of childhood drawn from the doctrine of original sin required that children be saved from the devil by a sound inculcation of Christian values beginning with the sacrament of baptism. The image of a child was not of innocence but of an imp, likely to commit sin unless corrected. It was accepted that all children at every level of society needed religious education. The care of children was normally the task of parents but, amongst the wealthy, care was the responsibility of special servants, such as nursemaids or ‘nannies’. In the later Middle Ages, the sons of the aristocracy were sent as pages into another noble household at about the age of 12 years. Later, children of the upper classes were educated at home by a resident tutor or governess, while the middle classes sent their sons away from home to boarding schools.

A dramatic challenge to accepted ideas about children and childhood emerged in the 18th cent., expressed at its most controversial in Émile by J. J. Rousseau. The English edition appeared in 1763. Rousseau argued that children were born innocent and would continue so unless corrupted by adults. Although this remained a minority view for many years, it helped to modify some severity towards children. In addition, this new view of children stimulated the development of special toys and pastimes to help them learn. A major innovation, led by the publisher John Newberry in the later 18th cent., was literature specifically designed for child readers.

The enjoyment of leisure in the ways suggested in the debates about childhood was completely outside the experience of most children. In rural areas, children of the less well-off had always performed household and other tasks. This pattern was continued in urban and industrial areas with children as young as 3 years being employed in textiles, mines, and other occupations. Charles Kingsley's account of the London chimney sweeps in The Water Babies, and many of Dickens's novels, drew attention in fiction to the reality of life for many children. During the 19th cent. there was increasing involvement of the state to protect children by controlling working practices and, eventually, to finance and regulate full-time education. State intervention continued in the 20th cent., raising the age at which children might leave compulsory full-time education and giving access to a range of educational opportunities.

IN BRIEF: A young boy or girl.

Teaching a child not to step on a caterpillar is as valuable to the child as it is to the caterpillar. — Bradley Millar.

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - barn, produkt, [sl] far her

idioms:

• child abuse    børnemishandling
• child allowance    børnetilskud, børnefradrag
• child benefit    børnetilskud
• child prodigy    vidunderbarn
• child proof    børnesikker
• child's play    barneleg, barnemad
• children's home    børnehjem

Nederlands (Dutch)
kind, kinder-

Français (French)
n. - enfant, (fig) enfant de

idioms:

• child abuse    sévices sexuels infligés aux enfants, (gén) mauvais traitements infligés aux enfants
• child allowance    allocations familiales
• child benefit    allocations familiales
• child prodigy    enfant prodige
• child proof    de sécurité, à l'épreuve des enfants
• child's play    jeu d'enfant
• children's home    maison d'enfants
• with child    (porter) un enfant (en son sein) (arch)

Deutsch (German)
n. - Kind

idioms:

• child abuse    Kindermißhandlung
• child allowance    Kindergeld
• child benefit    Kindergeld
• child prodigy    Wunderkind
• child proof    kindersicher
• child's play    ein Kinderspiel
• children's home    Kinderheim
• with child    schwanger [sein]

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - παιδί, τέκνο, απόγονος
adj. - παιδικός, των παιδιών

idioms:

• child abuse    κακοποίηση ανηλίκων
• child allowance    επίδομα τέκνων
• child benefit    επίδομα τέκνων
• child prodigy    παιδί θαύμα
• child proof    ακίνδυνος για παιδιά, που δεν κινδυνεύει κατά τη χρήση από παιδιά
• child's play    (καθομ.) εύκολη δουλειά, παιχνιδάκι
• children's home    άσυλο ανηλίκων

Italiano (Italian)
figliolo, bambino, bimbo, piccolo, infantile, da bambino

idioms:

• child allowance/benefit    mancetta del bambino
• child prodigy    bambino prodigio
• child proof    a prova di bambino, di sicurezza
• child's play    gioco per bambini

Português (Portuguese)
n. - filho (m), criança (f), discípulo (m)
adj. - imaturo

idioms:

• child allowance/benefit    dinheiro pago pelo governo às famílias para que cuidem das crianças
• child prodigy    criança (f) prodígio
• child proof    à prova de criança
• child's play    brincadeira (f) de criança

Русский (Russian)
ребенок, дитя

idioms:

• child allowance/benefit    пособие на ребенка
• child prodigy    вундеркинд
• child proof    недоступный для детей
• child's play    пустяки

Español (Spanish)
n. - hija, hijo, niña, niño

idioms:

• child abuse    maltrato de menores, acoso sexual a menores
• child allowance    prestación familiar por hijos
• child benefit    prestación familiar por hijos
• child prodigy    niño prodigio
• child proof    a prueba de niños
• child's play    es cosa de coser y cantar
• children's home    orfanato
• with child    embarazada

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - barn, avkomling, efterföljare, lärjunge, idé, ättling
adj. - barn-

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
孩子, 弟子, 产物

idioms:

• child abuse    虐待儿童, 漫骂小孩
• child allowance    子女津贴
• child benefit    儿童补助金, 儿童津贴
• child prodigy    神童
• child proof    不危害儿童的, 对儿童安全的
• child's play    容易干的事
• children's home    儿童收容所

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 孩子, 弟子, 產物

idioms:

• child abuse    虐待兒童, 漫罵小孩
• child allowance    子女津貼
• child benefit    兒童補助金, 兒童津貼
• child prodigy    神童
• child proof    不危害兒童的, 對兒童安全的
• child's play    容易幹的事
• children's home    兒童收容所

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 아이, 자식, 제자

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 子供, 児童, 幼児, 子, 申し子, 人, 子供っぽい人, 未熟な人, 子孫, 弟子

idioms:

• child abuse    児童虐待
• child allowance/benefit    児童手当
• child prodigy    天才児
• child proof    チャイルドプルーフ子供に安全な

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) طفل, ابن (صفه) طفلي‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮ילד, בן, תינוק‬

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Children's Chandelier	Children's Rug
Children's Loungewear	Naturade Children's