kid

The word “kid” means a child or young person; informally, anyone's son or daughter regardless of their age. In plain terms, a young child, a baby goat, or (as a verb) to tease someone in fun.

“Kid” is pronounced KIHD (/ˈkɪd/ in IPA).

Here is “kid” used in a sentence: “The kids were playing in the backyard all afternoon.”

Depending on how it is used, “kid” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “kid” dates back to around 1590 and comes from Middle English. From Old Norse "kið" (young goat), which entered English through Middle English. The word was first used as slang for "child" around the 1590s and became standard informal English by the 1840s.

“Kid” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A1 level.

“Kid” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a child or young person; informally, anyone's son or daughter regardless of their age.

They mean the same thing, but differ in tone. Child is the standard, neutral word suitable for formal writing and official contexts. Kid is informal and conversational, common in everyday speech. You would write 'children must be accompanied by an adult' on a sign, but say 'how are your kids?' to a friend.

Kid is informal. It is perfectly acceptable in casual conversation, texts, and friendly writing, but in formal documents, reports, or official notices, child or young person is preferred. Calling someone a kid can also sound warm and affectionate, which is part of why it feels relaxed rather than official.

In the sense of offspring, kid describes a person's son or daughter at any age, not just young children. A parent might say 'my kids are in their forties now' because they will always be that parent's children. Here kid marks the family relationship rather than the person's actual age.