Kidling

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small child or young person ; a young goat
2. A young boy or girl ; a kid or baby goat
3. A little child ; a young member of the goat family

Etymology: "Kidling" is simply "kid" with the diminutive suffix "-ling" attached, so it means a young kid, most often a young goat. The suffix is an old English one, found in words such as "duckling" and "gosling," and it is the same ending that gives "darkling" and "sapling" their sense of something small or young. Kid itself is the older word here, and the combination is a plain one: "kid" for a young goat, with "-ling" added to mark a small or young creature. Kidlings, as a noun, are most often used in farming and in descriptions of goat herds, though the word also appears in poetry and children's writing where its diminutive sound suits a tender subject.

Synonyms: youngster, child, kid

Antonyms: adult, elder