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APG.American
Pronunciation Guide
HOW TO PRONOUNCE

baby

/ˈbeɪ.bi/

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What does baby mean?

noun

  1. A very young human, particularly from birth to a couple of years old or until walking is fully mastered.
  2. A very young human, even if not yet born.
  3. Any very young animal, especially a vertebrate; many species have specific names for their babies, such as kittens for the babies of cats, puppies for the babies of dogs, and chicks for the babies of birds. See :Category:Baby animals for more.
More meanings (17)

noun

  1. A person who is immature, infantile, or feeble.
  2. A person who is new to or inexperienced in something.
  3. The lastborn of a family; the youngest sibling, irrespective of age.
  4. A person's romantic partner; a term of endearment used to refer to or address e.g. one's girlfriend, boyfriend, or spouse.
  5. (informal) A form of address to a person considered to be attractive.
  6. A thing that is comparatively small of its kind.
  7. A concept or creation endeared by its creator.
  8. A pet project or responsibility.
  9. An affectionate term for anything.
  10. One who is new to an identity or community.
  11. (archaic) A small image of an infant; a doll.

adjective

  1. Picked when small and immature (as in baby corn, baby potatoes).
  2. Newest (overall, or in some group or state); most inexperienced.
  3. Like or pertaining to a baby, in size or youth; small, young.

verb

  1. To coddle; to pamper somebody like an infant.
  2. To tend (something) with care; to be overly attentive to (something), fuss over.

proper noun

  1. A surname.
Wiktionary contributors Wiktionary contributors

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/ˈbeɪ.bi/

Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

It was rough and simple, and not unlike what baby bears would have made of an underground house in the same circumstances.
J. M. (James Matthew) BarriePeter Pan : $b [Peter and Wendy]Project Gutenberg ebook #16
He had grown to be a big cub of a baby, with a constitutional grievance, and he had to be continually amused.
Willa CatherThe Song of the LarkProject Gutenberg ebook #44
More book examples (3)
And there was a bottle that had had milk in it, and it had a rag stopper for a baby to suck.
Mark TwainAdventures of Huckleberry FinnProject Gutenberg ebook #76
When she reached home it was to learn to her grief that the baby had been suddenly taken ill since the afternoon.
Thomas HardyTess of the d'Urbervilles: A Pure WomanProject Gutenberg ebook #110
Her mamma had died when she was a baby, and her papa had kept her with him as long as he could.
Frances Hodgson BurnettSara Crewe; Or, What Happened at Miss Minchin's Boarding SchoolProject Gutenberg ebook #137