baby

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A very young child who cannot yet walk or talk.

   The baby began to cry again.

2. 2
   noun

   A very young animal.

   The baby rabbits stayed close to their mother.

3. 3
   noun

   Someone who behaves in an immature or childish way.

   Stand up for yourself and don't be such a baby!

4. 4
   verb

   To treat someone with too much care, as if they were a small child.

   She babies her grown son far too much.

Appears in

Simplified etymology

Baby, recorded from late Middle English, probably arose from the repeated ba sound made by very young children and shares this imitative origin with babe and babble. From the late 17th century it could mean a lover or spouse, and by the late 19th century it could also denote someone’s creation or special concern.

Two main origins: * Borrowed from Malayalam ബേബി (bēbi), a surname typically found in Kerala. * Borrowed from French Baby.

Topics

External links

• Google Images
• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary