Standard Lemma guide

babyhood

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈbeɪbihʊd/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: B EY1 B IY0 HH UH2 D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The state or period of infancy.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

the earliest state of immaturity

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: infancy

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: immaturity, immatureness

3

noun

Meaning 3

the early stage of growth or development

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: infancy, early childhood

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: time of life

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bhā- Proto-Germanic *bō-redup. Proto-Germanic *babô Proto-West Germanic *babō Old English *baba Middle English babe Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y Middle English baby English baby Proto-Indo-European *keyt-der. Proto-Germanic *haiduzder. Proto-West Germanic *-haiduder. Old English -hād Middle English -hede English -hood English babyhood From baby + -hood.

Across languages

Translations

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 幼兒期 /幼儿期 (yòu'érqī) — state or period of infancy
  • Esperanto: bebaĝo — state or period of infancy
  • Finnish: varhaislapsuus — state or period of infancy
  • French: enfance — state or period of infancy
  • Icelandic: frumbernska — state or period of infancy
  • Icelandic: vítvoðungsaldur — state or period of infancy
  • Italian: infanzia — state or period of infancy
  • Polish: niemowlęctwo — state or period of infancy
  • Portuguese: infância — state or period of infancy
  • Romanian: pruncie — state or period of infancy
  • Russian: младе́нчество (mladénčestvo) — state or period of infancy
  • Welsh: babandod — state or period of infancy
  • Welsh: mabandod — state or period of infancy