baby

ba|by¹ W1S1 [ˈbeıbi] n plural babies

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1¦(young child)¦

2¦(young animal)¦

3¦(vegetable)¦

4¦(youngest)¦

5¦(woman)¦

6¦(silly person)¦

7¦(responsibility)¦

8¦(thing)¦

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[Date: 1300-1400; Origin: babe]

1.) ¦(YOUNG CHILD)¦

a very young child who has not yet learned to speak or walk

▪ The baby is crying.

▪ Julie's second baby was born when they lived in Washington.

▪ She gave birth to a baby on Thursday.

▪ It's hard work moving house when you're expecting a baby .

▪ Dr Coleman has delivered hundreds of babies .

▪ How do you recognize pain in a newborn baby ?

▪ premature babies needing special medical care

▪ Jane had a baby boy this morning.

▪ What do you think of your new baby sister ?

▪ the effects of alcohol on the unborn baby

→↑test-tube baby

2.) ¦(YOUNG ANIMAL)¦

a very young animal

▪ baby birds

▪ a baby elephant

3.) ¦(VEGETABLE)¦

a type of vegetable which is grown to be much smaller than usual or is eaten before it has grown to its normal size

▪ baby carrots

▪ baby sweetcorn

4.) ¦(YOUNGEST)¦

a younger child in a family, often the youngest

▪ Clare is the baby of the family.

5.) ¦(WOMAN)¦

spoken

a) used to address someone that you love

▪ Relax baby, we're on holiday.

b) not polite used to address a young woman that you do not know

6.) ¦(SILLY PERSON)¦

someone, especially an older child, who is not behaving in a sensible way

▪ Don't be such a baby!

7.) ¦(RESPONSIBILITY)¦

something special that someone has developed or is responsible for

▪ Don't ask me about the building contract - that's Robert's baby.

8.) ¦(THING)¦ informal

something, especially a piece of equipment or a machine, that you care about a lot

▪ This baby can reach speeds of 130 miles per hour.

→throw the baby out with the bathwater at ↑throw¹ (37)

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COLLOCATES for sense 1

have a baby (=give birth to a baby)

give birth to a baby (=used when you are talking about the act of childbirth)

be expecting a baby (=be pregnant)

deliver a baby (=help a woman to give birth to a baby)

newborn/new baby

premature baby (=a baby that is born too early)

unborn baby (=a baby still inside its mother)

baby boy/girl

baby son/daughter

baby brother/sister

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baby ²

baby² past tense and past participle babied present participle babying third person singular babies

v [T]

to be too kind to someone and look after them as if they were a baby