See Also: infant(2)(dictionary)
Infant(medicine)
infant(1)(dictionary)
Infant(health)
Infant(law)
postmature infant(medicine)
infant, newborn(medicine)
liveborn infant(medicine)
infant 2, adjective(dictionary)
infant welfare(medicine)

infant(1) (iou)



infant noun1 & adjective. LME.
[Old & mod. French enfant from Latin infant-, infans use as noun of infans unable to speak, formed as IN-3 + pres. pple of fari speak: see -ANT1.]
A. noun.
A child during the earliest period of life after birth or (now rare) in the womb; a baby, a young child. LME.
TERRIBLE infant.
D. W. Goodwin If the mother is intoxicated while breast feeding, the infant will be intoxicated. J. Crace I slept, glad to be free of squalling infants and the attentions of the Professor.
b. A beginner in or newcomer to an activity etc.; something in an early stage of development. E16.
New Brunswick Daily Mail As every political infant cannot fail to recognise, the..question was..unconnected with party politics.
a. Law. A person not yet of full age. E16.
b. A ruler who has not yet attained the age at which he or she is constitutionally capable of exercising sovereignty. L18.
A youth of noble birth. rare. L16-E17.
A thing of exceptional size, strength, etc. joc. M19.
b. attrib. or as adjective.
That is or is like an infant; in the earliest stage of development; undeveloped, nascent, incipient. L16.
K. Amis The sheep clustered by the infant oak-tree looked up suddenly and turned their heads. T. Mo A girl of seven carries her infant brother in a gay cloth sling.
Of, belonging to, or suitable for an infant or infants; childlike; childish, infantile. L16.
D. Walcott Like the sound Of infant voices from the Mission School.
Special collocations & comb.: infant mistress a female infant teacher. infant mortality the death of infants, spec. of those less than a year old. infant prodigy a very precocious or talented child. infant school (chiefly Hist.) a primary school intended for children between the ages of 5 and 7. infant teacher a teacher of young children; spec. a teacher in an infant school.
infanthood noun infancy M19.
infantical adjective (rare) of or pertaining to infants E17-M18.
infantize verb trans. (rare) (a) give birth to; (b) make childlike: E17.