Kid

/kɪd/ noun, verb

Definition

As a noun, a kid is a child or a young person. As a verb, to kid means to joke with someone or tease them in a playful way.

Etymology

From Old Norse “kith” or related forms meaning “young goat”. The use for children started as slang and then became common informal English.

Kelly Says

It’s funny that the everyday word for a child comes from baby goats. The playful, jumping energy of goat kids probably helped the word stick. It’s a reminder that language often compares people to animals, usually in affectionate or vivid ways.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.