n.; pl. Children [ AS. cild, pl. cildru; cf. Goth. kilþei womb, in-kilþō with child. ] 1. A son or a daughter; a male or female descendant, in the first degree; the immediate progeny of human parents; -- in law, legitimate offspring. Used also of animals and plants. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A descendant, however remote; -- used esp. in the plural; as, the children of Israel; the children of Edom. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. One who, by character of practice, shows signs of relationship to, or of the influence of, another; one closely connected with a place, occupation, character, etc.; as, a child of God; a child of the devil; a child of disobedience; a child of toil; a child of the people. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A noble youth. See Childe. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A young person of either sex. esp. one between infancy and youth; hence, one who exhibits the characteristics of a very young person, as innocence, obedience, trustfulness, limited understanding, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

When I was child. I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 1. Cor. xii. 11. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A female infant. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

A boy or a child, I wonder? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

To be with child, to be pregnant. --
Child's play, light work; a trifling contest. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Childed; p. pr. & vb. n. Childing. ] To give birth; to produce young. [ 1913 Webster ]

This queen Genissa childing died. Warner. [ 1913 Webster ]

It chanced within two days they childed both. Latimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of producing or bringing forth children; parturition. Milton. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of a woman bringing forth a child, or being in labor; parturition. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of bringing forth a child; travail; labor. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Med.) The crowing noise made by children affected with spasm of the laryngeal muscles; false croup. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A cognomen formerly prefixed to his name by the oldest son, until he succeeded to his ancestral titles, or was knighted; as, Childe Roland. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Furnished with a child. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

[ AS. cildamæsse-dæg; cild child +dæg day. ] (Eccl.) A day (December 28) observed by mass or festival in commemoration of the children slain by Herod at Bethlehem; -- called also Holy Innocent's Day. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. cildhād; cild child + -hād. See Child, and -hood. ] 1. The state of being a child; the time in which persons are children; the condition or time from infancy to puberty. [ 1913 Webster ]

I have walked before you from my childhood. 1. Sam. xii. 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Children, taken collectively. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The well-governed childhood of this realm. Sir. W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The commencement; the first period. [ 1913 Webster ]

The childhood of our joy. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Second childhood, the state of being feeble and incapable from old age. [ 1913 Webster ]