NYT Dictionary

CHILD

[tʃəɪ̯(ə)ɫd]
NounVerbCHILDchild · 1 syllableGrade 5

Accepted in official NYT Spelling Bee puzzle years: 2020, 2021, 2023, 2026

Meaning

A person who has not yet reached adulthood, whether natural (puberty), cultural (initiation), or legal (majority).

Etymology

Origin: Old English

From Middle English child, from Old English ċild, from Proto-West Germanic *kilþ, *kelþ, from Proto-Germanic *kelþaz (“womb; fetus”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵelt- (“womb”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *gel- (“to ball up, amass”). Cognate with Danish kuld (“brood, litter”), Swedish kull (“brood, litter”), Icelandic kelta, kjalta (“lap”), Gothic 𐌺𐌹𐌻𐌸𐌴𐌹 (kilþei, “womb”), Sanskrit जर्त (jarta), जर्तु (jártu, “vulva”).

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

kiddescendantproductsondaughterboyand Thesaurus:girlbinary cloneprogenyhybrid

Antonyms

fathermotherparentadultgrownup

NYT Puzzle Appearances

Accepted in 4 recorded puzzles:

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