young

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   being in its early stage

   a young industry

2. 2
   adj

   of living things, especially persons, in an early period of life or development or growth

   The young people played games in the park.

3. 3
   noun

   young people collectively

   rock music appeals to the young

4. 4
   adj

   In the early part of growth or life; born not long ago.

   a lamb is a young sheep

5. 5
   adj

   At an early stage of existence or development; having recently come into existence.

   the age of space travel is still young

6. 6
   adj

   advanced in age; (far towards or) at a specified stage of existence or age.

   And thou, our Mother, twice two centuries young, Bend with bright shafts of truth thy bow fresh-strung.

7. 7
   adj

   Junior (of two related people with the same name).

   The young Mr. Chester must be in the wrong, and the old Mr. Chester must be in the right.

8. 8
   adj

   Early (of a decade of life).

   1922, E. Barrington, “The Mystery of Stella” in “The Ladies!” A Shining Constellation of Wit and Beauty, Boston: Atlantic Monthly Press, pp. 40-41, […] Miss Hessy is as pretty a girl as eye can see, in her young twenties and a bit of a fortune to boot.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English yong, yonge, from Old English ġeong, from Proto-West Germanic *jung, from Proto-Germanic *jungaz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂yuHn̥ḱós, from *h₂yuh₁en- (“young”). Cognates Cognate with Alemannic German jung, jungu, junhs, jungà, jòng (“young”), Bavarian junk (“young”), Central Franconian, Luxembourgish jonk (“young”), Cimbrian djung, jung, junk (“young”), Dutch jong (“young”), German, German Low German, Mòcheno and Vilamovian jung (“young”), Limburgish jong, jonk (“young”), Yiddish יונג (yung, “young”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk and Swedish ung (…