Baby

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈbeɪ̯.bi/

Definitions

1. A very young human child or infant ; a word used affectionately for someone loved or cherished ; a young animal recently born
2. An infant or newborn human being ; an affectionate name expressing love or fondness ; the young of an animal species
3. A newly born child ; a loving or tender way to address a person ; an animal’s young shortly after birth

Etymology: The word "baby" is a diminutive of "babe," and the suffix that turned one into the other is a small, humble piece of English grammar. "Babe" came into Middle English, and the "-y" or "-ie" ending was an endearing and diminutive suffix, so "baby" simply meant something like "little babe." Put another way, the word was a pet form of a word for an infant, much as "doggy" is a pet form of "dog." Where the word itself came from is less certain. The root "babe" is probably imitative, reflecting the repeated syllables of infant sounds, and it may be linked to "babble," the sounds very young children make before they speak. That connection is plausible rather than proven, so it is best held loosely.

Synonyms: infant, newborn, child, toddler, little one

Antonyms: adult, grown-up, parent