Standard Lemma guide
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
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adj
Able to bear children; fertile; also, pregnant, or in the process of childbirth, or having just given birth to a child.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, not-comparable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: fecund, fruitful, in delivery, in labour, postnatal, postpartal, postpartum, post-partural
Antonyms: barren, infertile
adj
Of a flowering plant: producing younger florets around an older flower.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, not-comparable
Topics: agriculture, business, horticulture, lifestyle
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
adj
Fruitful; productive.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, not-comparable, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
gerund of child: the act or process of childbearing or childbirth.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, form-of, gerund, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: delivery, parturition
Antonyms: none provided
verb
present participle and gerund of child
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
From late Middle English childing (“pregnant”), from childen (“to give birth to a child”) + -ing, -inge (suffix forming the present participles of verbs, which were often used as adjectives); equivalent to child (verb) + -ing (suffix forming adjectives with the sense ‘having a specified characteristic, nature, or quality’, and forming the present participles of verbs).
From Middle English childing, childinge [and other forms], from childen (“to give birth to a child”) + -ing, -inge (suffix forming gerunds from verbs). Equivalent to child + -ing.
