a person who behaves like an infant; helpless or timid person
3.
a very young animal
4.
the youngest or smallest in a group
5. US, Slang
darling; honey
often a casual term of address
6. US, Slang
any person or thing
this car is a tough baby to drive
adjective
7.
of or for an infant
baby food
8.
extremely young
9.
small of its kind
10.
infantile or childish
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈbabied or ˈbabying
11.
to treat like a baby; pamper; coddle
12. Informal
to handle with great care
to baby a new car
SIMILAR WORDS: inˈdulge
Derived forms
babyhood (ˈbabyˌhood)
noun
babyish (ˈbabyish)
adjective
babyishly (ˈbabyishly)
adverb
Word origin
ME babi, dim.: see babe
More idioms containing
baby
like taking candy from a baby
throw the baby out with the bath water
leave someone holding the baby
COBUILD Collocations
baby
miracle baby
Quotations
A baby is God's opinion that life should go onCarl SandburgRemembrance Rock
Every baby born into the world is a finer one than the lastCharles DickensNicholas Nickleby
The invisible bond that gives the baby rein to discover his place in the world also brings the creeping baby back to home baseLouise J. KaplanOneness and Separateness: From Infant to Individual
People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have oneLeo Burke
baby: a misshapen creature of no particular age, sex or condition, chiefly remarkable for the violence of the sympathies and antipathies it excites in others, itself without sentiment or emotionAmbrose BierceThe Devil's Dictionary
Word lists with
baby
affection
In other languages
baby
British English: baby /ˈbeɪbɪ/ NOUN
A baby is a very young child that cannot yet walk or talk.
She used to take care of me when I was a baby.
American English: baby
Arabic: وَلِيد
Brazilian Portuguese: bebê
Chinese: 婴儿
Croatian: beba
Czech: nemluvně
Danish: baby
Dutch: baby
European Spanish: bebé
Finnish: vauva
French: bébé
German: Baby
Greek: μωρό
Italian: bebè
Japanese: 赤ん坊
Korean: 아기
Norwegian: baby
Polish: dziecko
European Portuguese: bebé
Romanian: bebeluș
Russian: ребенок
Latin American Spanish: bebé
Swedish: baby
Thai: เด็กทารก
Turkish: bebek
Ukrainian: маля
Vietnamese: em bé
All related terms of 'baby'
baby bath
a plastic bath used for bathing a baby
baby beef
meat from a prime heifer or steer fattened for butchering when one to two years old
baby-blue
in a pastel shade of blue
baby bond
a sum of money invested shortly after the birth of a child, the returns of which may not be collected until the child reaches adulthood
baby boom
A baby boom is a period of time when a lot of babies are born in a particular place.
baby boy
a male baby
baby doll
a doll that looks like a baby
baby-face
a smooth round face like a baby's
baby farm
a place that houses and takes care of babies for a fee
baby food
food, as vegetables , fruits, or meat , puréed or minced for easy ingestion by infants
baby girl
a female baby
Baby-gro
an all-in-one babysuit made of stretchy material
baby milk
a powder made from dried cows ' milk, or other ingredients , mixed with water to feed babies
baby oil
oil for babies ' skin
baby seat
a seat anchored to the body of the car, with straps to buckle across the baby
baby-sit
to act or work as a baby-sitter
baby step
the shortest step permitted a player, executed by placing the heel of one foot against the toe of the other and drawing the back foot up to the front foot
baby talk
Baby talk is the language used by babies when they are just learning to speak , or the way in which some adults speak when they are talking to babies.
baby wipe
a disposable moistened medicated paper towel , usually supplied in a plastic drum or packet , used for cleaning babies
blue baby
A blue baby is a baby whose skin is slightly blue because it has been born with something wrong with its heart.
boom baby
a person born in the years of the baby boom
bush baby
any of a family (Galagidae) of nocturnal prosimian primates of tropical African forests , with a long, bushy tail and large eyes
tar baby
a troublesome situation that is made worse by attempts to extricate oneself from it
war baby
a child born in wartime , esp the illegitimate child of a soldier
anchor baby
a child born in a country where his or her parents are not citizens , giving them a right to remain in that country
baby blues
depression suffered after childbirth
baby bonus
family allowance
baby boomer
A baby boomer is someone who was born during a baby boom, especially during the years after the end of the Second World War.
baby broker
an adoption service , esp on the internet
Baby Buggy
A baby buggy is a small folding seat with wheels , which a young child can sit in and which can be pushed around.
baby-daddy
the father of a child, esp a man who is not the current partner of the child's mother
baby-faced
having a smooth round face like a baby's
baby grand
a small grand piano , approximately 5 feet long
baby Jesus
Jesus as a baby, esp in Nativity scenes
baby linen
sheets , clothes , etc for babies
baby lotion
a skin lotion for babies
baby-minder
a person who is paid to look after other people's babies or very young children
baby-mother
a young mother who has been abandoned by the baby's father just before or after the birth
baby-scales
scales used for weighing babies
baby sister
a younger sister
baby-sitter
a person who takes care of a child or children while the parents are out
baby sling
a pouch supported by straps at the shoulder or neck, used to carry small babies on one's chest
baby teeth
→ baby tooth
baby tooth
→ milk tooth
baby-walker
a light frame on casters or wheels to help a baby learn to walk
baby weight
The weight of a person or thing is how heavy they are, measured in units such as kilograms , pounds , or tons .
breech baby
a baby whose buttocks or feet are presented first during the birth process
crack baby
an infant , typically born prematurely, with a condition caused by the excessive consumption of crack cocaine by the mother during pregnancy and characterized by malformations and learning disabilities
jelly baby
a small sweet made from a gelatinous substance formed to resemble a baby in shape
rhesus baby
a baby that has haemolytic disease at birth as its red blood cells (which are Rh positive ) have been attacked in the womb by antibodies from its Rh negative mother
多么(麼)漂亮的一个(個)小宝(寶)宝(寶)啊！ duōme piàoliang de yī gè xiǎo bǎobao a!
the baby can hold the toy itself
宝(寶)宝(寶)自己能拿住玩具 bǎobao zìjǐ néng názhù wánjù
1 (noun)
Definition
a newborn child
We just had a baby.
Synonyms
child
This film is not suitable for children.
infant
young mums with infants in prams
babe
innocent as newborn babes
wean (Scottish)
little one
bairn (Scottish, NorthernEngland)
suckling
newborn child
babe in arms
sprog (slang)
neonate
rug rat (US, Canadian, informal)
ankle biter (Australian, slang)
tacker (Australian, slang)
2 (noun)
Definition
a sweetheart
(informal)
You have to wake up now, baby.
Synonyms
darling
Hello, darling!
love
Don't cry, my love.
dear
Yes, my dear.
dearest
What's wrong, my dearest?
honey
babe (informal)
I'm sorry, babe. I didn't mean it.
sweetheart
Happy birthday, sweetheart!
sweetie (informal)
3 (noun)
Definition
the youngest or smallest of a family or group
It's very evident he is the baby of the family.
Synonyms
youngest
smallest
junior member
littlest
(adjective)
Definition
comparatively small of its type
Serve with baby new potatoes.
Synonyms
small
She is small for her age.
little
We sat round a little table.
minute
Only a minute amount is needed.
tiny
Though she was tiny, she had a very loud voice.
mini
wee
Fancy being so scared of a wee spider!
miniature
The farm has been selling miniature roses since 1979.
dwarf
dwarf shrubs
diminutive
a diminutive figure stood at the entrance
petite
a petite woman who spoke little English
midget
an accompaniment of midget roast potatoes
teeny (informal)
The people on the ground looked like little, teeny bugs.
pocket-sized
undersized
undersized and underweight babies
teeny-weeny (informal)
Lilliputian
His vocabulary has shrunk to Lilliputian proportions.
teensy-weensy (informal)
pygmy or pigmy
(verb)
Definition
to treat like a baby
My parents never babied me, unless I was really ill.
Synonyms
spoil
Grandparents are often tempted to spoil their grandchildren.
pamper
Her parents have pampered her since the day she was born.
cosset
Important clients were cosseted and pampered like royalty.
coddle
I coddled my youngest son dreadfully.
pet
She had petted her son all his life.
humour
She humoured her boss to avoid arguments.
indulge
She did not agree with indulging children.
spoon-feed
He spoon-fed me and did everything around the house.
mollycoddle
He accused me of mollycoddling the children.
overindulge
wrap up in cotton wool (informal)
Quotations
A baby is God's opinion that life should go on [Carl Sandburg – Remembrance Rock]Every baby born into the world is a finer one than the last [Charles Dickens – Nicholas Nickleby]The invisible bond that gives the baby rein to discover his place in the world also brings the creeping baby back to home base [Louise J. Kaplan – Oneness and Separateness: From Infant to Individual]People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one [Leo Burke]baby: a misshapen creature of no particular age, sex or condition, chiefly remarkable for the violence of the sympathies and antipathies it excites in others, itself without sentiment or emotion [Ambrose Bierce – The Devil's Dictionary]