n.; pl. Youths r collectively Youth. [ OE. youthe, youhþe, &yogh_;uheðe, &yogh_;uweðe, &yogh_;eo&yogh_;eðe, AS. geoguð, geogoð; akin to OS. juguð, D. jeugd, OHG. jugund, G. jugend, Goth. junda. √281. See Young. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The quality or state of being young; youthfulness; juvenility. “In my flower of youth.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Such as in his face
Youth smiled celestial. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The part of life that succeeds to childhood; the period of existence preceding maturity or age; the whole early part of life, from childhood, or, sometimes, from infancy, to manhood. [ 1913 Webster ]

He wondered that your lordship
Would suffer him to spend his youth at home. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Those who pass their youth in vice are justly condemned to spend their age in folly. Rambler. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A young person; especially, a young man. [ 1913 Webster ]

Seven youths from Athens yearly sent. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Young persons, collectively. [ 1913 Webster ]

It is fit to read the best authors to youth first. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Not yet mature or aged; young. “Two youthful knights.” Dryden. Also used figuratively. “The youthful season of the year.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Of or pertaining to the early part of life; suitable to early life; as, youthful days; youthful sports. “Warm, youthful blood.” Shak. “Youthful thoughts.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Fresh; vigorous, as in youth. [ 1913 Webster ]

After millions of millions of ages . . . still youthful and flourishing. Bentley. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Puerile; juvenile. -- Youthful, Puerile, Juvenile. Puerile is always used in a bad sense, or at least in the sense of what is suitable to a boy only; as, puerile objections, puerile amusements, etc. Juvenile is sometimes taken in a bad sense, as when speaking of youth in contrast with manhood; as, juvenile tricks; a juvenile performance. Youthful is commonly employed in a good sense; as, youthful aspirations; or at least by way of extenuating; as, youthful indiscretions. “Some men, imagining themselves possessed with a divine fury, often fall into toys and trifles, which are only puerilities.” Dryden. “Raw, juvenile writers imagine that, by pouring forth figures often, they render their compositions warm and animated.” Blair. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Youth"ful*ly, adv. -- Youth"ful*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. geoguðhād. See Youth, and -hood. ] The quality or state of being a youth; the period of youth. Cheyne. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ AS. geoguðlic. ] Young; youthful. [ Obs. ] “All my youthly days.” Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) A vigorous perennial herb (Tolmiea menziesii) with flowers in erect racemes and having young plants develop at the junction of a leaf blade and the leafstalk.
Syn. -- pickaback plant, piggyback plant. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Youthful. [ Obs. ] Pepys. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Young. [ Obs. ] Spectator. [ 1913 Webster ]