babyhood

B3A1B3Y4H4O1O1D2
UK/ˈbeɪbihʊd/

noun

The state or period of infancy.

Similar
infancyearly childhood
OriginProto-Germanic *haiduz ← Proto-Indo-European *keyt- ← English baby →
RareScrabble 19
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Meanings

nounbabyhood (countable and uncountable, plural babyhoods)

plural babyhoods

  1. countableuncountableThe state or period of infancy.

    Radulph hid his face in his hands and for the first time since babyhood, prayed […]

    1993, Rikki Ducornet, The Jade Cabinet, Dalkey Archive Press, page 129

Synonyms & antonyms

nounthe early stage of growth or development

Similar
infancyearly childhood
Broader
time of life

nounthe earliest state of immaturity

Similar
infancy
Broader
immaturityimmatureness
Also see
early childhoodinfancy

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*bʰā-
  2. Proto-Germanic*bō-redup.
  3. Proto-Germanic*babô
  4. Proto-West Germanic*babō
  5. Old English*baba
  6. Middle Englishbabe
  7. Middle Englishbaby
  8. Englishbaby
  9. Proto-Indo-European*keyt-
  10. Proto-Germanic*haiduz
  11. Englishbabyhood

From baby + -hood.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 幼兒期 /幼儿期
  • 幼兒期 /幼儿期 (yòu'érqī)state or period of infancy
Esperanto bebaĝo
  • bebaĝostate or period of infancy
Finnish varhaislapsuus
  • varhaislapsuusstate or period of infancy
French enfance
  • enfancestate or period of infancy
Icelandic frumbernska, vítvoðungsaldur
  • frumbernskastate or period of infancy
  • vítvoðungsaldurstate or period of infancy
Italian infanzia
  • infanziastate or period of infancy
Polish niemowlęctwo
  • niemowlęctwostate or period of infancy
Portuguese infância
  • infânciastate or period of infancy
Romanian pruncie
  • prunciestate or period of infancy
Russian младе́нчество
  • младе́нчество (mladénčestvo)state or period of infancy
Welsh babandod, mabandod
  • babandodstate or period of infancy
  • mabandodstate or period of infancy
Cite this entry
APA

babyhood. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/babyhood

MLA

“babyhood.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/babyhood. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “babyhood,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/babyhood.

Source: babyhood on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.